L'orient le jour - Le cadavre d’un membre du Fateh retrouvé au marché de Aïn el-Héloué, June 1 2012

Le cadavre d’Ahmad Hassan Hajj Ali, alias William, cadre du Fateh a été retrouvé hier matin dans le marché aux fruits et légumes du camp palestinien de Aïn el-Héloué. La tête du cadavre était couverte d’un sac en nylon. Le corps ne portait pas de traces de balles ou de coups, ce qui laisse supposer que Hajj Ali avait été asphyxié. L’enquête est en cours. 
Dès la découverte du cadavre, les factions palestiniennes ont fait appel aux forces de sécurité libanaises. Le corps a été transporté à la morgue de l’hôpital al-Hamchari.
Une source palestinienne à Aïn el-Héloué a indiqué que le but de ce crime perpétré contre un membre du Fateh est de semer la discorde dans le camp et d’influer ainsi sur l’équilibre fragile du Liban. Une réunion regroupant les représentants de toutes les factions palestiniennes du camp s’est tenue après la découverte macabre. Les responsables présents ont souligné l’importance de garder la tension loin de Aïn el-Héloué et de préserver l’équilibre du camp.

http://www.lorientlejour.com/category/Liban/article/761715/Le_cadavre_d'un_membre_du_Fateh_retrouve_au_marche_de_Ain_el-Heloue.html

The Daily Star - Syrian group posts photos of Lebanese hostages, June 1 2012

BEIRUT: A previously unknown armed group calling itself the "Syrian Revolutionaries -- Aleppo Province" said that it is holding a group of Lebanese Shiite pilgrims who went missing last week.

"The kidnapped Lebanese are being looked after by us and are in good health," the group said in a statement received by Qatar-based satellite news channel Al-Jazeera late Thursday.

"Negotiations for their release are possible as soon as (Hezbollah leader Hasan) Nasrallah apologizes.

"Our problem is not with any particular community but with those who assist in the suppression of the uprising," it added, in allusion to the 15-month revolt against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The Shiite militant group, which is the leading force in the current ruling coalition in Beirut, has close relations with Assad's regime and its Iranian ally.

Al-Jazeera showed images of men said to be among the kidnap victims as well as passports.

Since the dozen or so returning pilgrims went missing on May 22 in the northern Syrian province of Aleppo, Nasrallah has called for restraint and urged his followers to refrain from sectarian revenge attacks against Syrian Sunnis.

On Sunday, the outgoing head of the opposition Syrian National Council, Burhan Ghalioun, said the pilgrims were still being held in Syria after reports, later denied, that they had resurfaced in Turkey.

"We spoke with some parties who had contacts with the group and we offered our assistance to have them freed," Ghalioun said.

But the mainstream rebel Free Syrian Army, which has close links with the SNC, has denied any involvement in the kidnapping.

Leaders of the kidnappers quoted by Al-Jazeera said five of the men being held had admitted to being "officers" in Hezbollah, some of them "implicated in massacres" in Syria.

Nasrallah had said in a speech addressed to the kidnappers that his party would not change its position concerning the conflict in neighboring Syria, declaring: "If this kidnapping is aimed at putting pressure on our political position, it's a waste of time."

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2012/Jun-01/175353-syrian-group-posts-photos-of-lebanese-hostages.ashx#axzz1wQjup3K6

The Daily Star - Sleiman calls for release of kidnapped Lebanese, June 1 2012

BEIRUT: President Michel Sleiman urged the Syrian authorities Thursday to release two men kidnapped near the border in Akkar the day before, expressing his worry about the rise in kidnappings and border “violations.”

He said that an investigation should be carried out by both sides to clarify the circumstances surrounding the abduction of Mohammad Merhebi and Mahdi Hamdan, and prevent such incidents in the future.

But only hours after Sleiman’s appeal, a Lebanese shepherd was kidnapped by Syrian forces from the border village of Khirbet Daoud near Arsal, in the Bekaa, and was released late Thursday. Sources said the Syrian Army, which regularly patrols the area near Khirbet Daoud, crossed seven kilometers into Lebanese territory at 1 p.m. and kidnapped the man, who was identified as Yahya Mohammad Fliti, 32. According to locals and Fliti’s relatives, Fliti is a shepherd who often herds his goats in the area where he was kidnapped.

Arsal mayor Ali Hujeiri said the kidnapping was an acts of revenge against the area’s residents, who have hosted scores of Syrian refugees fleeing unrest in their country. “This will cause an increase in tension and things to spiral out of control. We are working on calming the situation to preserve stability on both sides of the border,” Hujeiri said.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2012/Jun-01/175334-sleiman-calls-for-release-of-kidnapped-lebanese.ashx#axzz1wQjup3K6

The Daily Star - Qabbani warns of repercussions of Lebanese kidnapping case, June 1 2012

BEIRUT: Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani said Friday the case of the 11 Lebanese pilgrims abducted in Syria last month will have a negative impact on Lebanon's domestic affairs.

"The case of the Lebanese kidnapped in Syria will have negative repercussions on the domestic Lebanese reality," Qabbani told reporters upon arrival at Rafik Hariri International Airport. He had been on a trip to Kuwait.

"The kidnappers, regardless of the party to which they belong, should take into consideration that such an abduction is not ethical during wars even if it is a tit-for-tat move," he added.

An unknown Syrian rebel group claimed the abduction of 11 missing Lebanese pilgrims Thursday night, and said that releasing them was contingent on Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah apologizing for his support of Syria.

"The kidnapped Lebanese are our guests and they are in good health ... negotiations to release the Lebanese are possible after Nasrallah apologizes for his last speech, in which he renewed his party's support for the regime of Bashar Assad," said the statement aired by Qatar-based Al-Jazeera.

The statement added that the rebels decided to extend the abductees' sojourn among them for several reasons, including the "fact that five of them are officers in Hezbollah, as well as the Houla massacre and Nasrallah's latest speech," which the group described as provocative.

Shiite pilgrims on their way back to Lebanon following a pilgrimage to Iran were kidnapped last week in the northern Syrian province of Aleppo. The women and elderly men were set free and returned to Lebanon shortly after the initial abduction. Eleven men remained in captivity.

But since the incident last week, conflicting reports on the whereabouts and health of the 11 men have emerged; none of the reports has been confirmed.

Their release had been scheduled for last Friday, according to Turkish officials, but for unknown reasons they remain in captivity.

Al-Jazeera showed photos and passports said to belong to the kidnapped.

Nasrallah has repeatedly voiced support for President Bashar Assad since the Syrian uprising began over a year ago and has urged the opposition to engage in dialogue with the government in a bid to save Syria from civil war.

In his latest speech marking the 12th anniversary of Liberation Day on May 25, Nasrallah said if those who kidnapped the pilgrims seek to exert pressure on Hezbollah, it will not work.

Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday his country would continue “intensive efforts” aimed at securing the release of the kidnapped.

His comments came following a meeting with Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Istanbul.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2012/Jun-01/175358-syrian-group-claims-abduction-of-lebanese-demands-nasrallah-apologize.ashx#axzz1wQjup3K6