Post by Salem6 on Jan 30, 2004 18:22:14 GMT
The spiritual leader of Palestinian militant group Hamas has said followers will try to abduct Israeli soldiers to trade for imprisoned fighters.
Sheikh Ahmed Yassin said kidnaps were being planned, but were difficult to execute as troops were careful.
Sheikh Yassin said Israel only understood the "language of force"
He spoke the day after Israel freed some 400 Palestinians in exchange for three dead soldiers and a businessman.
The last stage of the historic exchange was completed with the arrival in Lebanon of the bodies of dead fighters.
Israel had handed over coffins containing the remains of 59 mostly Lebanese guerrillas the day before, along with 35 Arab fighters who had been in prison.
PRISONER SWAP
Hezbollah releases:
Israeli businessman Elhanan Tannenbaum
Remains of three Israeli soldiers
Israel releases:
400 Palestinian prisoners
About 30 Arab fighters, 23 Lebanese
Remains of 59 militants
Lebanon delayed the return of the bodies to allow for a full celebration of the release of its prisoners in return for the freeing of an Israeli businessman and delivery of the remains of three Israeli soldiers.
Sheikh Yassin, who was himself released from life imprisonment in 1997 as part of an earlier detainee swap, said Israel only understood "the language of force".
"The [Palestinian] factions will not spare any effort to kidnap Israeli soldiers," he told reporters outside a mosque following Friday's Muslim prayers.
"And they tried many times, but the Israeli soldier today is as cautious as a bird is about its chick."
He also said Hamas had carried out a suicide bus bombing in Jerusalem on Thursday which killed 10 people and the attacker. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade has also said the attack was theirs.
Lebanese flags adorned fighters' coffins at the end of the exchange
In Beirut the leader of Hezbollah, Sheikh Hassan Nasrullah, also backed the notion of kidnapping Israelis to use as bargaining chips.
"The next time, I promise you, they will be captured alive," he said, pointing to portraits of the three Israeli soldiers captured in October 2000 whose bodies were returned to Israel.
"Our fighters will not have such a heavy hand as they did with the three soldiers."
Questions
Correspondents say some Israeli politicians had opposed the prisoner exchange precisely because they believed it could strengthen militant groups and encourage future kidnappings.
Thursday's swap, brokered by Germany after years of talks, has not answered all of Israel's questions.
It still wants to know what happened to the airman, Ron Arad, who went missing when his plane was shot down over Lebanon in 1986.
If Hezbollah provides that information, Israel says it may free Samir al-Qantar, who was convicted of killing Israeli civilians.
Sheikh Ahmed Yassin said kidnaps were being planned, but were difficult to execute as troops were careful.
Sheikh Yassin said Israel only understood the "language of force"
He spoke the day after Israel freed some 400 Palestinians in exchange for three dead soldiers and a businessman.
The last stage of the historic exchange was completed with the arrival in Lebanon of the bodies of dead fighters.
Israel had handed over coffins containing the remains of 59 mostly Lebanese guerrillas the day before, along with 35 Arab fighters who had been in prison.
PRISONER SWAP
Hezbollah releases:
Israeli businessman Elhanan Tannenbaum
Remains of three Israeli soldiers
Israel releases:
400 Palestinian prisoners
About 30 Arab fighters, 23 Lebanese
Remains of 59 militants
Lebanon delayed the return of the bodies to allow for a full celebration of the release of its prisoners in return for the freeing of an Israeli businessman and delivery of the remains of three Israeli soldiers.
Sheikh Yassin, who was himself released from life imprisonment in 1997 as part of an earlier detainee swap, said Israel only understood "the language of force".
"The [Palestinian] factions will not spare any effort to kidnap Israeli soldiers," he told reporters outside a mosque following Friday's Muslim prayers.
"And they tried many times, but the Israeli soldier today is as cautious as a bird is about its chick."
He also said Hamas had carried out a suicide bus bombing in Jerusalem on Thursday which killed 10 people and the attacker. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade has also said the attack was theirs.
Lebanese flags adorned fighters' coffins at the end of the exchange
In Beirut the leader of Hezbollah, Sheikh Hassan Nasrullah, also backed the notion of kidnapping Israelis to use as bargaining chips.
"The next time, I promise you, they will be captured alive," he said, pointing to portraits of the three Israeli soldiers captured in October 2000 whose bodies were returned to Israel.
"Our fighters will not have such a heavy hand as they did with the three soldiers."
Questions
Correspondents say some Israeli politicians had opposed the prisoner exchange precisely because they believed it could strengthen militant groups and encourage future kidnappings.
Thursday's swap, brokered by Germany after years of talks, has not answered all of Israel's questions.
It still wants to know what happened to the airman, Ron Arad, who went missing when his plane was shot down over Lebanon in 1986.
If Hezbollah provides that information, Israel says it may free Samir al-Qantar, who was convicted of killing Israeli civilians.
