Posted on 01/22/2019 4:30:53 PM PST by BenLurkin
Majd Kamalmaz, 61, had traveled from Lebanon, where he runs a mental health clinic for refugees, to Syria, where he planned to check on elderly relatives with health problems and pay condolences following his father-in-law’s death, his family said.
He checked in with Syrian officials before the February 2017 trip to make sure he wasn’t on any watch list, they say, but he was nonetheless arrested at a checkpoint in Damascus. He hasn’t been heard from since.
American officials had advised the family not to speak out — for fear of angering any parties who might determine Majd Kamalmaz’s fate — but after two years without any fortune, they decided to make their appeals public. Their father has diabetes and other health issues, which only exacerbates the family’s concern.
“Unfortunately, we haven’t received any proof of life — no voice recordings, no pictures, not a phone call, nothing. We’ve just received word that he is alive and that’s all we know,” Maryam Kamalmaz said.
The family has been in touch with the US State Department’s presidential hostage envoy, Robert O’Brien — who Maryam Kamalmaz called “wonderful and very supportive” — and has worked to leverage contacts both within and outside of Syria.
(Excerpt) Read more at ktla.com ...
Is he a US citizen? No? Then not our problem. The family should contact his and their home country.
Not our problem.
I’d say it depends what we have on him...and who would be the other party in an exchange.
“Majd Kamalmaz”
Must translate into “dumb $hit” in Arabic or Farsi! I have no patience with people who do things they know are risky in the ME. Like the Christian pastor Trump sprung from I think Iran last year. While I’m very happy he was freed, I think ignoring reality and “hoping God will provide” because of the nature of one’s mission is truly foolish. Like going on vacation to Cuba or North Korea. It really isn’t a good idea. And for sure, in today’s mixed up world, going to a Muslim country is also really stupid.
If he is our citizen we do everything in our power to find him and bring him home safe.
If he is not our citizen, then that obligation belongs to his own country.
“So-Cal Raised...”. What a strange set of words. Is the writer trying to make us think he is American?
Smells like BS to me.
“He checked in with Syrian officials before the February 2017 trip to make sure he wasn’t on any watch list”
What a fool. If you have to ask you probably shouldn’t go. + If they wanted to capture you why would they be honest?
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