General Abbas Ibrahim: From soldier to negotiator

He acted as a personal guard for the special envoy of the League of Arab States, Lakhdar Brahimi, who negotiated the Taif Agreement, and later as a personal guard for President Elias Hrawi and Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, but for less than a year.

Officer Ibrahim stamped his authority in protecting personalities and took on sensitive positions in the military and its intelligence, including the position of Assistant Director of Intelligence, Head of the Anti-Terrorism and Espionage Division, and Head of the South Branch of Intelligence.

The security situation was precarious, with Israel as the enemy, Palestinian refugee camps, various resistance groups, and international forces spread across the land. However, Ibrahim won the confidence of Palestinian factions and international forces without losing the trust of the resistance, especially Hezbollah. He became a peacemaker among factions and a mediator in prisoner exchanges with Israel, preparing for the adoption of Resolution 1701, which ended the July 2006 war.

In 2011, the life of the Lebanese officer changed when the government of Najib Mikati appointed him as the Director-General of General Security. Since then, he has become a man of tough missions.

As terrorism occupied the heights of the eastern mountain range, the Nusra Front and ISIS negotiated for the release of Lebanese and Arab civilians, military personnel, and religious figures.

The case of A'zaz: 2012-2013
Military personnel kidnapped by the Nusra Front and ISIS: 2014
Kidnapping of nuns in Maaloula: 2013-2014

Ibrahim's ability to gain trust turned him into a tough, secretive, and calm negotiator. He also succeeded in securing the release of Arab, American, and Canadian citizens who were kidnapped in Iraq or Syria by terrorist organizations.

His ability convinced even Iran to release Nizar Zakka, the Lebanese-American, from its prisons in 2019.