Gulf states tell citizens to leave Lebanon

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates urged their nationals to leave Lebanon following a spate of kidnappings, officials said. A Kuwaiti foreign ministry source told the Kuwaiti news agency KUNA all Kuwaiti citizens currently in Lebanon "should leave, given fears that the security situation might deteriorate in Lebanon due to the rapid developments in Syria, " the Lebanese newspaper The Daily Star said. Security sources told The Daily Star gulf countries have warned Lebanon through diplomatic channels any kidnapping on Lebanese soil would be met by actions against Shiites in their own countries. Lebanese authorities Thursday more than doubled the number of flights to Saudi Arabia from Beirut, the paper said. Ali Awad Asiri, Saudi's ambassador to Lebanon denied reports claiming a Saudi citizen had been kidnapped in Lebanon along with more than two dozen Syrians and a Turkish national. The victims were kidnapped Wednesday by the Meqdad family in apparent retaliation for the abduction by the Free Syrian Army of Hassan Meqdad, identified as a member of Hezbollah in Damascus, the paper said. Hezbollah denied Meqdad is a member. The incident led to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates to urge their citizens to leave Lebanon immediately. Turkey issued a similar warning, the paper said. A senior Lebanese political source told the paper the recent events are an indication Lebanon is on the "brink of major chaos."