Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat condemned on Wednesday the kidnapping of Syrian opposition members in Lebanon, wondering if Lebanon is facing a new phase of the “infamous” security hegemony that controlled the country in the past.

He said in a statement: “All Syrian activists have the right to express their opinions freely without being subject to any harassment or pressure from any side.”

The March 14 General Secretariat condemned on Wednesday the ongoing security instability in Lebanon as demonstrated in the latest kidnapping of Syrian citizens in Lebanon, the most recent of which was the abduction of a Syrian national at the Rafik Hariri International Airport.

It said in a statement after its weekly meeting: “We hold the Lebanese state and concerned security authorities responsible for this issue, warning that these forces are directly linked to the Syrian regime and are providing them with security favors.”

The Syrian opposition has urged authorities in Lebanon to act over reports that more than a dozen of their members have been kidnapped.

"The executive board of the Syrian National Council has expressed its concern in a letter sent to Prime Minister Najib Miqati in light of reports by rights groups that 13 Syrian nationals have been kidnapped," the opposition group said in a statement late on Tuesday in Beirut.

Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare is exerting strong efforts to guarantee the cooperation of Lebanese authorities with his investigations into ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s Feb. 2005 assassination.

According to information received by Naharnet, Bellemare is currently adopting the policy of “carrot and stick” to avoid an “overt confrontation” with Lebanese authorities.

Leidschendam, Naharnet Exclusive: Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare is preparing for a new surprise that he hinted in a document he submitted to the court last week ahead of a hearing on Friday on whether proceedings in absentia against four Hizbullah members were appropriate.

The four members - Salim Ayyash, Mustafa Badreddine, Hussein Oneissi, and Assad Sabra - are wanted for the Feb. 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri and 22 others.

An Estonian delegation arrived on Tuesday in Lebanon to follow up the investigations carried out by the Lebanese authorities with Wael Abbas, the top suspect in the kidnapping of seven Estonians, al-Joumhouria newspaper reported.

The daily said on Wednesday that the delegation has previously investigated the kidnapping of the seven Estonian tourists who were abducted for 113 days in March.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton stressed during talks with PM Najib Miqati the importance of implementing U.N. Security Council resolutions.

Lebanon “should continue to implement international resolutions,” Ashton told Miqati during talks in London on Tuesday.

Embassies and diplomats are hinting that the assassinations wave and bombings will return to Lebanon, fearing that the turmoil in the region will affect Lebanon, An Nahar newspaper reported on Wednesday.

An official told the daily that the assassinations and bombings rumors are not based on reliable information but on hints from embassies and diplomats.

A senior U.S. official was in Beirut on Wednesday to inquire about the role of the Lebanese banking sector in the alleged transfer of Syrian money to Lebanon to escape sanctions imposed on Damascus by the United States and the European Union.

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes in the Department of Treasury Daniel Glaser will hold talks with top officials to stress the need for Lebanese authorities to remain vigilant against attempts by the Syrian regime to evade the U.S. and EU sanctions (by resorting) to the Lebanese financial sector,” As Safir daily quoted U.S. sources as saying.

Speaker Nabih Berri held a meeting on Wednesday with President Michel Suleiman at Baabda palace to discuss the possibility of the resumption of the dialogue between the Lebanese foes.

A presidential statement said Suleiman and Berri discussed the latest developments and ways to restart the all-party talks.