Naharnet Newsdesk - Israel Concludes Arad is Alive, Obeid and Dirani May Soon Be Freed

Israel Concludes Arad is Alive, Obeid and Dirani May Soon Be Freed

Israeli experts have concluded there is no evidence that airman Ron Arad is dead, 17 years after his fighter-bomber was shot down over Lebanon's southern port city of Sidon and he was captured by Lebanese militiamen, Israel's state-run TV has reported.

The report came at a time German mediators are trying to arrange for an exchange of prisoners and information between Israel and Hizbullah, purportedly involving the freedom of Sheikh Abdul Karim Obeid and Mustafa Dirani.

They are the most important Lebanese prisoners affiliated to Hizbullah that are still in Israeli jail. Obeid was snatched from his home in the southern village of Jibsheet in 1989 and Dirani was grabbed by helicopter-borne Israeli commandos from his bed at the Bekaa valley town of Qsarnaba in 1994.

Israel has contended it captured the two affiliates to drum out information about the fate and whereabouts of Arad. The conclusion that he is alive suggested that Obeid and Dirani have served out the purpose of their arrest and may be traded off for Hizbullah-held Israeli captives.

In 1987, Arad's captors issued a picture and letter to his wife, Tami, the last sign of life from him. Since then, Israeli officials have been stumped by his fate.

Israel's TV Channel One said an in-depth report was presented to Israel's chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Moshe Yaalon, three weeks ago.

Yaalon is reviewing the inquiry's findings, and no conclusions or decisions have been made yet, the army spokesman's office said.

The inquiry _ headed by retired judge Eliyahu Weingord _ was appointed in May 2002 by the then-army chief and current defense minister, Shaul Mofaz, to check the assumption by the army and Israeli intelligence community that Arad is alive, the TV report said.

"There are no facts or information that contradict the assessment that Ron Arad is still alive," the TV quoted the report as saying.

The inquiry also outlined suggestions for how the security establishment should track down Arad, the TV report said, but did not elaborate.

The report comes just a week after Israel handed Hizbullah the bodies of two of its fighters, apparently after a German mediator was allowed to meet with retired Israeli Colonel Elhanan Tennenbaum, who was kidnapped by Hizbullah operatives during an overseas trip in October 2000.

In October 2000, Hizbullah captured three Israeli soldiers _ Adi Avitan, Beni Avraham and Omar Sawaid _ along the Israeli-Lebanese border, and Israel has demanded their return, together with Tennenbaum, in messages transmitted to Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah. The Israeli army has declared the three soldiers dead. The swap deal probably would include the return of their remains.(AP-Naharnet)

Beirut, Updated 04 Sep 03, 10:40