Two Saudis kidnapped and tortured: the story of networks that feed, full of charm ...

The information is published by AFP, which is based on the official declaration of the Saudi ambassador, Ali al-Assiri, quoted by the official SPA news agency. But what fate was reserved for two cousins ​​actually al-Chaqaqiq? Between security sources, who participated in their release, and sources close to the two victims, versions overlap, to form the story of the abduction.

Last Monday, and Tawfik Abdullah arrived at the AIB. This is the first visit that perform these forties in Lebanon, where their relatives continue their university studies. Barely out, they are approached by one of the taxi drivers who usually camped outside the airport, looking haggard tourists. The driver offers them to renew them to an apartment in "a suburb of Beirut," according to the Saudi Embassy, ​​specifically Dawhat Aramoun (after Khalde), sources said the investigation. The driver would have persuaded the two forties to choose the apartment, instead of the hotel, offering them services charm of a courtesan, in the residence in question, according to sources from the survey.

The agreement is concluded and the two men find themselves in the apartment, where the driver leaves them in good company. Shortly thereafter, three individuals knocking on their door, posing as agents of the order. "They were dressed in official uniform of the local security forces," sources close to entrust the victims, without elaborating. The three "agents" are a pretext to enter the apartment, where they attack physically while the two tourists. They bound him with ropes and thick in the house hold. Then they make them understand, in an Iraqi accent, they will be freed in exchange for a ransom of 200,000 dollars. To enforce payment, the kidnappers use to conventional forms of torture they subjected and Tawfik Abdullah to the point of their break bones (electric shock, repeated attacks with sticks ...).


The two men, employees in an oil company in Saudi Arabia, "are not particularly wealthy," according to sources close to them. However they manage to "mobilize their families to ensure the amount claimed" by convincing the kidnappers that they can not get the money alone. Once contacted, the families of victims inform the Saudi Embassy in Lebanon the situation, which then in turn solicits the help of local security services. The branch information ISPs then coordinates with the Embassy, ​​to develop the action plan. The operation managed to cause one of the malefactors to an ATM at Bank Audi in Hamra, where he was to withdraw the amount claimed. He was immediately arrested by agents of ISPs who manage to trace the location and Tawfik Abdullah and to release them, eight days after their detention.

Finally, two of the four intruders (including the woman used as bait) were arrested yesterday and face a grilling. But they operate within a wider network, spread throughout several regions, according to security sources cited by nowLebanon. The two hostages, meanwhile, are hospitalized in Beirut since Tuesday. They initially received emergency care at the Medical Center of the American University (AUBMC), before being transferred yesterday to the Government Hospital Rafik Hariri, on the recommendation of the Department of Health. Abdallah suffered a small fracture in the ankle, while Tawfic suffered trauma to the back (in addition to fractures in the leg and knee). He expects to have surgery today. Relatives of two victims said that "the Saudi embassy and the State, who have provided the best support."

While Ambassador Ali al-Assiri did not identify the countries from which the kidnappers, the Interior Minister Marwan Charbel confirmed reports that they "are of Iraqi nationality." He believed, through the al-Mustaqbal, that "the main reason for this is robbery and kidnapping is not related to a desire to exert some pressure on Saudi Arabia." The real question prompted by this incident is less political than security. Internal stability seems threatened by a sense of impunity that may emerge regional crises, particularly in Syria.

This case removal of the Saudis said the issue of protection of tourists, especially Arabs, who regularly flock to Lebanon. The case of Abdallah Tawfic and can serve as an example, which encourages greater precautions. Moreover, the Saudi ambassador urged his compatriots traveling to Lebanon to exercise caution, avoid staying in private apartments and stay away from border areas during their stay. Diplomatic recommendation, which combines the interests of economic and political order.