Well, what an uplifting Christmas tale! Mom hires mercenaries to re-kinap her kids! Mom lives in Canada, dad in Australia.

From Electric News in Singapore: Were Mercenaries Hired to Nab Kids?

WHEN her estranged husband took her two little daughters to Lebanon and informed her that she would never see them again, Ms Melissa Hawach reportedly hired a group of mercenaries to re-unite her with her daughters, Hannah, 5, and Cedar, 3.

She got her daughters back but is now on the run from the Lebanese authorities.

Two of the mercenaries allegedly hired by Ms Hawach were arrested by Lebanese authorities at the Beirut International airport yesterday.

They were just minutes away from their flight taking off.

The two mercenaries Brian Corrigan, 38, a former Australian soldier and New Zealander David Pemberton were charged with the kidnapping of the two girls.

They face up to 15 years in jail if they are proven guilty, on the charge of kidnapping minors.