IS-held Lebanese hostages feared for their lives amid Hezbollah's Syria border operation

BEIRUT, July 24 (Xinhua) -- The families of nine Lebanese servicemen being held hostage by Islamic State (IS) have expressed concerns over the fate of their sons, local LBCI TV reported. Hussein Youssef, the father of captive soldier Mohammed Youssef, said in an interview with LBCI that he was worried about his son, after Hezbollah launched an unprecedented offensive towards the Lebanese-Syrian border region held by the IS-linked al-Nusra Front group. "We have nine servicemen in IS captivity. What is their situation and what is their fate amid this pressure, bombardment and battles?" Youssef asked. He also warned that the families "will not accept that these servicemen turn into a victim" of any military developments. The fate of the nine servicemen has been shrouded with mystery for around two years now and their families have organized numerous street protests to exert pressure on authorities to unveil their fate and secure their release. The nine men were among more than 30 troops and policeman who were abducted by IS during the deadly 2014 battle between the Lebanese army and IS and al-Nusra militants in and around northeastern border town of Arsal. Four of the servicemen were executed by IS and al-Nusra while another died of his wounds. In 2015, al-Nusra released 16 hostages as part of a swap deal with the Lebanese state, however, the fate of the nine others remains unknown.

Mattis on ISIS leader Baghdadi: 'Until I see his body, I am going to assume he is alive'

by Christopher Woody -Amid ISIS' defeat in the Iraqi city of Mosul and ongoing fighting in its self-declared capital in Raqqa, Syria, the fate of its leader, Abu Bark al Baghdadi, remains unknown. Russia said in late June that it believed he had been killed in a bombing raid on Raqqa, but earlier this week Moscow admitted that it was unable to confirm the death and said it was getting contradictory information. Despite an observer group saying Baghdadi has been killed, Defense Secretary James Mattis and other US commanders are skeptical. "I think Baghdadi’s alive," Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon on Friday, according to Military Times. Mattis has made similar statements before, and he told reporters that absent evidence Baghdadi was still commanding ISIS, it was possible he was acting in a religious or propaganda role for the terrorist group. “Until I see his body, I am going to assume he is alive,” Mattis said. The US intelligence community has also seen no evidence Baghdadi is dead. Army Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, the leader of the US-led coalition fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria, hasn't confirmed the death either, but earlier this week he said he had no "reason to believe he's alive. I don't have proof of life."

While Baghdadi's whereabouts remain unclear, the group he led appears to be on the wane. Iraqi forces have recaptured Mosul — after ISIS fighters there destroyed the mosque where Baghdadi declared ISIS' "caliphate" in summer 2014 — and US-backed fighters have advanced into Raqqa, though much hard fighting remains there. Like Baghdadi's fate, who will succeed him is also unclear. Experts believe that two lieutenants, ISIS war minister Iyad al-Obaidi and the group's security agency chief, Ayad al-Jumaili, are the most likely candidates. Both served in the Iraqi army under Saddam Hussein and then joined the Sunni Salafist insurgency in Iraq in 2003, after Hussein was deposed by the US invasion. Leadership questions aside, the group looks to remain present in some form. In June, US officials were quick to note that ISIS remained a threat in both Iraq and Syria after Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the group was at its end. And even with ISIS eroding, the tensions that fostered or accompanied its rise and other drivers of conflict are likely to endure.

Catholic group sends 15 Virgin Mary statues to Iraq to replace ones destroyed by ISIS

by catholicherald.co.uk - A Catholic charity has sent 15 statues of the Virgin Mary to the Middle East to replace ones destroyed by ISIS. The group Œuvre d’Orient, a French association dedicated to helping persecuted Christians, has sent the statues from Lourdes to Ankawa, a suburb of the city of Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan, which has a majority Catholic population. Aleteia reports that once they arrive, they will be carried in procession through the town by Chaldean and Syriac Catholics, before being blessed and sent to their parishes. Œuvre d’Orient say the processions will be a testament to Jeremiah 31:17: “And here is hope for thy last end, saith the Lord: and the children shall return to their own borders.. In March, a senior aid worker described the Chaldean Catholic population in northern Iraq as “on the verge of extinction”, warning that the West must help. Stephen Rasche, legal counsel and head of resettlement programmes for the Chaldean Archdiocese of Erbil, said: “The future really does hang in the balance,” adding: “History could look back on this and say ‘in their time of greatest need, they didn’t get the support and the community disappeared’. That could happen. We need to be honest about that.” Christian families were forced to flee the Nineveh Plains when ISIS took control of the region in 2014, mainly finding refuge in Erbil. Although the terror group is slowly losing territory, many thousands of Christians remain in the city as IDPs (internally displaced persons). Since 2003, Iraq’s Christian population has collapsed from 1.4 million to 275,000.

Trump to host Lebanese Prime Minister: White House

By AFP - US President Donald Trump will meet Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri in Washington next week for talks on issues including refugees and combatting terrorism, the White House announced Friday. Analysts also anticipate US aid will be high on the agenda of the July 25th talks at the White House, which has made clear its intent to slash its aid budget for Lebanon, on grounds that national forces there have not adequately applied US military support towards reining in Hezbollah. "The two leaders will discuss issues of mutual concern, including the fight against terrorism, the economy, and refugees," the White House said in a statement. "This meeting will serve as an important opportunity to strengthen the bilateral relationship," the statement said, adding that the talks "will encourage other international and regional partners to support Lebanon as it faces a wide range of challenges." The announcement comes days after US Ambassador Nikki Haley accused the Lebanon-based Hezbollah of amassing weapons and urged the international community to dial up pressure on the powerful paramilitary organization to disarm. There has been speculation about the possibility of a new war between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel, more than a decade after their last direct confrontation. On Thursday members of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee introduced legislation aimed at bolstering sanctions targeting Hezbollah, dubbing the group a threat to Israel's security and criticizing its role as an active ally of President Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria.

Syrian, Lebanese troops join Hezbollah in major ground offensive

by Associated Press - The Syrian army and members of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group launched a major ground offensive on Friday aimed at ending the years-long presence of hundreds of militants in a border area between the two countries. The offensive was widely expected after negotiations with militants to leave the area failed over the past days. The battle will be fought by Syrian troops and Hezbollah gunmen on the Syrian side of the border while the Lebanese army will likely fight against the militants on the Lebanese side.

On Tuesday, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri said the country's military is preparing a military operation to secure a lawless section of the border with Syria while Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah hinted in a speech last week that a joint operation was in the works with the Lebanese and Syrian militaries to expel insurgents from the border area. Government-controlled Syrian Central Military Media reported that military operations began early Friday from two fronts on the outskirts of the Lebanese town of Arsal and the Syrian village of Fleeta. It said Syrian troops and Hezbollah fighters captured some areas from the militants and killed and wounded a number of extremists. The rugged mountainous region is a stronghold of Syria's al-Qaida's branch, known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham or Fatah al-Sham Front, as well as the Islamic State group and the Levant People's Brigades. Friday's fighting concentrated in areas controlled by JFS. Video released by SCMM shows Hezbollah's artillery pounding militant positions while drone footage showed smoke billowing from areas controlled by the militants. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said the Lebanese army shelled an area on the border to prevent a group of militants from entering the Arsal area. There will be concerns about civilian casualties if the militants infiltrate Arsal, which is home to tens of thousands of Syrian refugees who fled civil war in their country. The militant-held areas are surrounded from all sides leaving them with no place to withdraw to. Hezbollah says the border area has been used in the past to launch attacks deep inside Lebanon, including a wave of bombings since 2013 that have killed scores of people. In 2014, militants briefly stormed Arsal and captured more than two dozen Lebanese soldiers and policemen. Al-Qaida exchanged the troops it was holding while nine soldiers taken by IS fighters are still missing. (AP)

Lebanon Looks to Investment Partnerships with KSA in Petrochemicals, Industry, Leisure

by english.aawsat.com - Fatah Al-Rahman Youssef

Riyadh- The Lebanese Labor and Investment Council in Saudi Arabia  =said it was looking forward to increasing investment partnerships between Riyadh and Beirut in the sectors of health, services, petrochemicals, industry, leisure and tourism. It added that the resumption of “Flynass” flights to Beirut would enable the business sector in both countries to implement qualitative partnerships and encourage tourism in Lebanon. In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, Rabih al-Amin, the council’s secretary said: “We need a Lebanese economic vision that simulates Vision 2030 and Saudi Arabia’s visionary programs, and that benefits from the stability of the Kingdom, under the aspirations of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is one of the pillars of stability and prosperity in the Kingdom and the Arab region.” Al-Amin noted that major opportunities await the Lebanese investors, especially with the adoption of Saudi Vision 2030. In this regard, he stated that promising opportunities included investments in the sectors of health, services, petrochemicals, industry, leisure and tourism. However, the official warned of geopolitical circumstances, which might have an impact on the regional situation and would negatively affect progress on the Lebanese arena. He noted that since the last visit of the Lebanese President Michel Aoun to Saudi Arabia, “some Lebanese officials did not invest in this visit and its outcome in a way that serves the interest of Lebanon”. He also praised efforts deployed by the Saudi Chargé d’Affaires in Beirut, Walid Boukhari, who he said was able to build a distinguished presence through activities and initiatives of the embassy in Beirut, including the establishment of the Saudi Lebanese Business Center.