Lebanese hostage speaks about experiences

Hussein Ali Omar, the 60-year-old man released Saturday after being held hostage along with 10 others for three months by Syrian rebels, speaks without bitterness or pain about his experience. He describes the head of the group who kidnapped him, Abu Ibrahim, as a wise man who talks little, but thinks a lot. “You are lovable, and Mr. Erdogan named you in person to be freed,” Omar quotes Abu Ibrahim as saying before releasing him. The other 10 men remain in the custody of the Syrian rebels. “I asked him why were we kidnapped, and he admitted it was a mistake,” says Omar, who arrived Saturday from Turkey at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport, where he was welcomed by a massive crowd including a number of Lebanese officials before heading to his residence in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Omar refuses to be referred to as a hostage, insisting he was Abu Ibrahim’s guest. The 11 men are Lebanese Shiites who were abducted on May 22 when they crossed into Syria from Turkey on their way back to Lebanon from a pilgrimage to Iran. “But I have to say we were never mistreated or insulted while we were held by the Syrians,” he exclaims. Voicing hope the other pilgrims will also be released, Omar denies reports that the men are members of Hezbollah, Syria's closest ally in the region. “One of us works painting houses, another in gardening, and someone else owns a travel agency. We are just regular citizens. Four of us are from Baalbek and the seven others come from south Lebanon,” says the freed hostage. Asked if he has any information about the potential for the release of the other abducted pilgrims, Omar says “I tried to call Abu Ibrahim, but his phone was off. But I got a promise of him he will set the others free, prior to coming back to Lebanon.” “They will be back in a few days, don’t worry,” Omar quotes Abu Ibrahim telling him minutes prior to his release. Omar says the Syrian rebels kept the 11 pilgrims together at all times, but moved them from one area to another for security. He also mentions the airstrike by the Syrian army on Aug. 15 in the Aleppo district of Azaz where they were being held. “They took us on a tour in Azaz, and we witnessed the destruction and human tragedy the Syrian people were subject to, and we support their call for freedom,” says Omar. This defense of the Syrian revolution from the hostages is not new. In previous TV appearances of the kidnapped pilgrims, they have emphasized the same support for the rebels, emphasizing that they have been treated with respect. It is impossible to know the full circumstances of such situations, or the treatment the men have received. Discussing calls he received from major political figures congratulating him on his safe return home, Omar refrains from mentioning Hezbollah, and gives assurances that none of the kidnapped has any involvement with the party, an announcement that the pilgrims might consider as a safety net for their security. But Free Syrian Army commander Col. Riad Asaad claimed Sunday that most of the remaining hostages were members of the resistance group. However, with no official signs the release of the 10 remaining pilgrims is imminent, it is not yet clear if Omar’s release was merely a move to encourage the release of two Turkish nationals who have been kidnapped in Lebanon. “Omar’s release was a sign to show good intentions by the Turkish authorities,” says Sheikh Ali Abbas Zougheib, head of the committee charged with following up the abducted pilgrims’ case. He added that Turkish authorities have made no connections between Omar’s release and the negotiations to release the Turkish nationals. (daily star)