Abbas Hammoud, one of the nine Lebanese Shiites kidnapped by a rebel faction group in Syria in 2012, celebrating his release with relatives.
In May of 2012, nine Shiite men from Lebanon were kidnapped in northern Syria; Friday, after more than a year, they were finally freed, after a hostage was release was negotiated that could possibly lead to the release of two Turkish pilots held in Lebanon. The Lebanese men were part of a group of 11 hostages taken by the rebel faction while they were on a religious pilgrimage. The other two men were previously released with Turkey’s aid, and the remaining nine men have been released through Qatar’s negotiations. The leader of the rebel faction has stated that the group kidnapped the men to attempt to force the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah to stop their support of Syria’s government. While the cause is one that ultimately, has a good end, the method is not one to support. In time, hopefully it will become possible for the opposing groups and nations to figure out a more desirable solution.
