Lebanon to lead hostage mediation between US and Syria, Beirut’s spy chief says

The head of Lebanon’s main intelligence agency has held talks with senior US officials in Washington to discuss resuming negotiations with Syria on the release of American hostages, including Austin Tice.

Maj Gen Ibrahim leads Lebanon’s most powerful security service after the military and has a reputation as a savvy negotiator who has helped to secure the release of US residents and citizens such as Sam Goodwin, a tourist who had been held in Syria, and Nizar Zakka, a Lebanese businessman with US permanent residency who was released from Iranian custody in 2019.

Those talks over the release of Tice involved demands by Syrian President Bashar Al Assad’s regime for the withdrawal of US forces from Raqqa, the resumption of US diplomatic relations with Syria and the lifting of some sanctions.