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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Iran insists kidnapped diplomats alive in Israel |
| 2006-05-22 |
| Beirut- Iran on Sunday insisted that the four Iranian diplomats kidnapped in 1982 in Lebanon by members of the Lebanese Forces are alive and held by Israel. "We consider them all to be alive, until the time we are presented with proof that they have been martyred," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters. "They are alive and are held by the Zionist regime, and we are holding the Zionist regime accountable," he added. Tehran and Hezbollah have repeatedly claimed that the four missing Iranians are still alive and in Israeli custody, after being handed over by the Lebanese Forces militia to then ally Israel. But last Thursday Samir Geagea, head of the Lebanese Forces said that the four Iranian diplomats were killed. Geagea revealed that Elie Hobeika who was then the Lebanese Forces' military chief of Beirut was the one who issued the order to kill the diplomats. The Iranian diplomats were Mohsen Moussawi, charge d'affaires; Ahmed Matousselian, military attaché; Kazem Akhavan, embassy press correspondent; and driver Taki Rustukar Mokaddam Geagea said Lebanese and Iranian authorities "have probable information" on where the four Iranians were buried, as "there was a military investigation by the Lebanese defense ministry in the early 1990s." The question of the missing Iranians has played prominently in back door negotiations with Israel which is seeking information on Israeli air force navigator Ron Arad, shot down over south Lebanon in 1986. Israel has accused Hezbollah of handing Arad over to Iran. Hezbollah denies it ever hold or handing over Arad and Tehran has long denied ever holding Arad. |
| Posted by:ryuge |