UN met with Hizbullah 20 times to discuss prisoner exchange

Source: Compiled by Daily Star, 03-8-2007
UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process Michael Williams revealed that the UN had met about 20 times with Hizbullah leaders concerning the exchange of the two "Israeli" soldiers captured last summer in return for the freeing of Lebanese prisoners.
"We have held about 20 meetings now with Hizbullah," Williams told UN Radio late on Wednesday. However, Williams said the meetings with high-ranking Hizbullah officials were not able to produce "a formula whereby there could be an exchange."
Williams said Hizbullah was not interested in a two-stage exchange deal. According to "Israel's" Haaretz newspaper, Jerusalem (al-Quds) was willing to release a certain number of prisoners in the first stage of the deal, in exchange for information and proof that "Israeli" soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser are alive. Hizbullah has rejected the offer, insisting instead on a single exchange of all prisoners. "Now we are trying to do a deal in one phase for the repatriation of the soldiers and in return the repatriation of the Lebanese prisoners," Williams said.
Government sources in Jerusalem (al-Quds) told Haaretz that Williams` mission was not restricted to the prisoner issue and included many other components. They said this suggested that he might not be completely well-versed in all the details of the negotiations.
Williams said, "It`s about a year now since the summer war, and there is a great deal of progress in the implementation of UN Resolution 1701, and the two governments of Syria and Lebanon are both still very committed to the resolution."
With regard to the (occupied) Shibaa Farms issue, Williams said that despite accomplishing much progress, the UN had still not arrived at a full settlement on the issue or the question of the Lebanese-Syrian border. He also said the UN found documents in French archives.
The Lebanese government has also submitted documents and maps, and a UN cartographer is planning to visit "Israel" and the (occupied) Shibaa Farms area in the next few weeks.