It's good to be a Freedom Fighter™, it means never having to bother about any tranzi being concerned by your total lack of adherence to any kind of war convention whatsoever.While confirming on Monday that Israel agreed to ransom two IDF soldiers Hizbullah is holding captive, the head of the terrorist organization, Hassan Nasrallah, taunted the Jewish State over the fate of the two men. Nasrallah mocked the Israeli intelligence agency, the Mossad, at a well-attended press conference.
'They don't know if they are alive or if they're dead, or if one is alive and one is dead,' Nasrallah mocked the Israeli intelligence agency, the Mossad, at a well-attended press conference in Beirut on Monday afternoon. Saying that the Israeli determination that Regev and Goldwasser are dead is 'mere speculation,' Nasrallah noted that the Israeli intelligence assessment was based on 'information heard by a single Lebanese source.'
Chuckling, Nasrallah added, 'I don't know who that Lebanese source is, but, Allah willing, we'll get to know him soon.'
Trying to present a non-sectarian facade, the Hizbullah leader said that the deal with Israel for the return of Arab terrorist prisoners and dead bodies in exchange for Goldwasser, Regev, a report on long-missing navigator Ron Arad and body parts of other Israelis was an 'achievement' for all of Lebanon. 'I hope the Lebanese appreciate this achievement that if it is completed, Lebanon will be the first Arab country in the Israeli-Arab struggle to close the detainee file after liberating the land, excluding the Shebaa Farms and the Kafar Shouba hills,' Nasrallah said.
He also explained that the 2006 attack and kidnapping was carried out specifically to obtain the release of Lebanese Druze terrorist Samir Kuntar, held in Israel since 1979: 'On July 12 [2006, when Regev and Goldwasser were taken captive - ed.], I did not set a ceiling. As for Samir, the operation that was conducted back then was for the sake of his release. There was no need for us to set a high ceiling through the media.'
Regarding the issue of Palestinian Authority terrorists included in the deal, Nasrallah said, 'We agreed with Hamas not to tie our negotiations with Israel to theirs [over kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, held by Hamas in Gaza - ed.], because this will complicate things.... But we insisted on the Palestinian issue because of its symbolism. So, we accepted this agreement, and we think it is important. Today I officially announce that we accept the agreement. Palestinian detainees especially women and children will be released. The UN chief will issue something in this regard and so will Olmert.'
Asked if Hizbullah would undertake future operations to take Israeli soldiers captive, Nasrallah replied, 'No comment.'
Tzvi Regev, father of Eldad, said that he did not watch Nasrallah's speech, broadcast on Israeli TV: 'Whenever there is something on that devil I prefer not to listen.' However, he said he understood the speech to be yet another attempt to rattle the families, 'as he has been doing ceaselessly for the last two years.'
Miki Goldwasser, Ehud's mother, said that Nasrallah's press conference was part of Hizbullah's ongoing psychological war against Israel. 'We will be strong,' she said, adding that she still holds out hope that her son and Eldad Regev are alive in light of Nasrallah's refusal to confirm their deaths. Karnit Goldwasser refused comment on the Hizbullah leader's press conference.
Both Miki Goldwasser and Tzvi Regev said that they are anxious to see the exchange accomplished as soon as possible. A possible target date for the Israeli ransom to be delivered, confirmed by Nasrallah on Monday, is July 15, 2008.