Hizbullah denies discussing captured soldiers in Paris

Source: Compiled by Daily Star, 17-7-2007
Hizbullah denied that representatives to the Saint-Cloud Lebanon dialogue had revealed information about the fate of two captured "Israeli" soldiers. Hizbullah`s head of international affairs Nawwaf Mousawi said on Monday he did not give French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner information about the two "Israeli" soldiers captured by Hizbullah last summer.
Mousawi said in an interview with the Italian news agency AKI that during the meeting, the subject was not discussed at all with the French party.
He said that Kouchner had inquired about the mediation chances of the release of the kidnapped soldiers.
"All we said when Minister Kouchner was asking about the captured soldiers, is that there is a way to solve the issue, through the UN, and that the `Israeli` part is the one not coordinating with the UN."
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Sunday said he had raised the fate of the two "Israeli" soldiers with Hizbullah and that he was told they were still alive. "Israeli" soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were captured by Hizbullah on July 12, 2006.
I received the assurance that the negotiations [for their release] are continuing, that they are on the right track, in particular with the UN," he said.
According to "Israeli" Haaretz newspaper, the abducted soldiers` families dismissed Kouchner`s comments as unreliable.
"Until Red Cross representatives see the soldiers, their families have no reason to put store in declarations of whether they are alive or dead," said Shlomo Goldwasser, father of Ehud Goldwasser. "The foreign minister did not see the soldiers, he is basing his belief on the comments of a Hizbullah representative, which for us is certainly not enough."
Brother of Eldad Regev, Benny Regev, said "What the foreign minister said means nothing, he should send representatives to actually see the missing soldiers, rather than talking."
"It could be that the information has just been given to him by Hizbullah representatives looking to gain legitimacy so they can come to France again," he added.