Estonians’ kidnap kingpin linked to Zahle Church Bombing

Rima S. Aboulmona
The Daily Star
4/11/2011

BEIRUT: The alleged mastermind behind the abduction of seven Estonian tourists who were released in July was also linked to the March 27 church bombing in east Lebanon, security sources told the Daily Star Thursday.

Wael Abbas, the suspect kingpin behind the kidnapping, was handed over by Syrian authorities to Lebanon’s General Security at the border crossing of Masnaa Wednesday.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that based on statements made by the nine Lebanese suspects detained in the case, Abbas was also the mastermind behind the church blast in Zahle, east Lebanon.

The explosion outside Saidat al-Najat church came four days after the seven Estonian nationals were kidnapped.

No one was hurt in the blast at the church, which went off at around 4 a.m. However, the explosion caused severe damage to the structure, smashing windows and benches as well as blowing out a side door.

Initial reports said Wednesday that Abbas, who had been the subject of a nationwide manhunt, was handed over to Lebanese security personnel after being stopped by Syrian border police at the Masnaa crossing in possession of a fake passport.

Security sources said Abbas was carrying a forged Venezuelan passport.

“But after examining Abbas’ forged passport, and after confessions made by Abbas himself, it was clear that the architect behind the abduction had traveled to Qatar out from Damascus airport,” one security source said.

The sources did not say when the trip to Qatar took place.

Qatari authorities identified Abbas after a picture of the suspect was circulated by Interpol, the sources said. They said that according to regulations, the Qataris deported him back to Syria.

The sources said Abbas, 29, was later handed over to Lebanese authorities at the Masnaa border crossing, east of Lebanon.

Once the interrogation is complete, Abbas will be turned over to the military tribunal, the court that was monitoring the case of the kidnapped Estonians.

The seven Estonian tourists were snatched from their bicycles by armed men on the outskirts of Zahle on March 23. They were released nearly four months later in July.

According to victims’ testimonies, they were frequently transported between Lebanon and Syria during their abduction.

Estonia’s Foreign Ministry, which was heavily involved in efforts to liberate the seven, declined to comment on the news of Abbas’ arrest. When contacted by The Daily Star, the Estonian State Prosecutor’s Office said it had “not yet received official confirmation of any arrest.”

Abbas is a resident of the Bekaa Valley town of Anjar, notorious for its pockets of relative lawlessness. He emerged as a prime suspect in April after he fled the scene of a shootout between bandits and Internal Security Forces officers thought to be involved with the kidnapping. Darwish Khanjar, another suspect, was killed in the altercation.

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