Though the primary focus of the Syrian Civil War is on battles between regime and rebels, but the Syrian rebels have also taken to claiming hostages, particularly among Shi’ite pilgrims from nations on good terms with President Bashar Assad.
Lebanon lost 11 Shi’ite pilgrims, which the rebels immediately branded Hezbollah militants, while Iran has lost 48 pilgrims of its own. The reactions in different nations are varied, as they try to avoid summary executions by the rebels and hope the secure the release of their citizens.
Iran has been extremely active in trying to secure the release of their citizens, pressing Turkey and Qatar, two of the nations loudly backing the rebels, to try to get the civilians freed. Turkey has promised to help, but expressed anger at the situation.
Hezbollah, whose political party rules Lebanon and which is its largest Shi’ite bloc, has been conspicuously silent on their own kidnappings, with Hassan Nasrallah making non-specific pleas for calm but not making public any efforts to secure the release of the captives.
Very interesting how Jason Ditz is reporting the mass execution of unarmed, civilian innocent pilgrims as it would be nothing else than an international chess-game.
For him obviously there is no crime against humanity when it are US terrorists who are providing the massacres.
Very interesting !