The United Nations has decided to give Israel an edited version of a tape showing UN troops towing cars used by the Lebanese Hizbollah group in the kidnapping of three Israeli soldiers last October, reported Haaretz newspaper on Tuesday.
The tape of the vehicles, filmed near the occupied Shabaa Farms on the northern border, will be given to Israel, said Haaretz, despite what it called “threats from Hizbollah that handing it over will be considered 'treason.'”
However, UN sources and Israeli experts said on Monday that "it's an illusion to believe that the Hizbollah men seen in the tape are those who kidnapped the three soldiers."
According to those sources, the Shiite group takes great care to keep secret the identity of its fighting forces. Those seen in the tape are Hizbollah troops who were manning a checkpoint through which the Indian regiment that towed the cars had to pass on their way to their base, they told the paper.
Hizbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah said Monday about Israel's attempt to obtain the tape that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is "raising false hopes among the families of the hostages," adding that "not one tape nor 100 tapes will give Israel information about the three hostages. The only way for Israel to get information about the condition of the hostages is to comply with Hizbollah's "humanitarian demands," meaning a transfer of prisoners held by Israel, including Israeli Arabs, Palestinians and Lebanese, said the Daily Star newspaper.
Sharon, said Haaretz, told the government that Israel wants the original tape as recorded by the Indian unit handed over to Israel without delay, saying he asked UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to hand Israel the “full unedited material.” – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
