(Jerusalem Post) Nina Gilbert - Hizballah is unlikely to enter into a new kidnapping exploit after the prisoner exchange is completed, since an Israeli reprisal could undermine its legitimacy in Lebanon, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Ya'alon told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday. As opposed to the past, Ya'alon said the "groundwork" has been laid for obtaining information on missing Israeli navigator Ron Arad. Israel will not release the terrorist Samir Kuntar, who murdered three members of a Nahariya family, until it receives proof about Arad, Ya'alon said. Ya'alon said that groups in Lebanon are questioning the need for Hizballah, given the economic problems it causes in its conflict with Israel. Ya'alon noted that the West is also increasing pressure on Hizballah and boosting its opposition to the group being armed.
2004-01-28 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive