No Secret Deal Behind Assir’s Escape
Although many think that a secret escape deal was struck between Ahmad al-Assir and the Lebanese army, logic suggests that this is not the case.
Many Lebanese citizens are asking: Where is Ahmad al-Assir? Did he escape the country or was he allowed to leave as part of a deal?
Many Lebanese are asking those questions because they remember the events of the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp in 2007. Back then, an Islamist group led by Shaker al-Absi killed several Lebanese soldiers, prompting the Lebanese army to besiege the camp.
After more than a month of fighting, the army entered the camp, but Absi was nowhere to be found. Some believed that a deal had been struck to allow Absi to leave the country in exchange for an end to the fighting. Today, some are asking themselves whether a similar deal was struck with Assir.
Another factor feeding the rumor is Assir's theatric nature. Over the past two years, he cultivated a superhero-like image, someone who held sit-ins in highly sensitive areas and defied the state and Hezbollah. Perhaps many Lebanese would like to see this "superhero" handcuffed and held accountable under the law.
