The Boss Changed, the Methods Stayed: Syria's Embassy Kidnapping Scandal in Lebanon Exposed

A storm is brewing in Lebanon following the arrest of a senior retired Syrian officer inside the Syrian embassy in Beirut, and suspicions of an attempt to secretly transfer him to Damascus. 'Al-Akhbar' accuses the authorities of a cover-up and of restoring Syrian influence in the country, and attacks the silence of the justice minister, the embassies, and human rights organizations.

Lebanon is in turmoil following the arrest of a senior retired Syrian officer inside the Syrian embassy in Beirut, and suspicions of an attempt to secretly transfer him to Damascus. The Lebanese newspaper 'Al-Akhbar' accuses the authorities of a cover-up and of restoring Syrian influence in the country. The article sharply criticizes the silence of the Lebanese justice minister, foreign embassies, and human rights organizations. The writers cynically note that those who once condemned the 'Syrian occupation' now find no fault with the return of that very same patronage. They claim that the human rights standard has changed along with the change of regime in Syria, and that Beirut has become an accepted platform for hunting regime opponents, as long as the new boss in Damascus is approved by Western powers and Saudi Arabia.