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Sunday Morning News

Crisis in the Middle East: Israeli Television Station Reports Businessman Possibly Abducted by Hezbollah

Aired October 15, 2000 - 8:18 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: A report on an Israeli television station is reporting that an Israeli businessman may have been abducted by the Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon. We have been reporting that possibly a reservist, an Israeli reservist, an army colonel, may now be in their possession.

For more on this story we go to CNN's Brent Sadler, who is joining us via telephone from Beirut.

Brent, what do you know?

BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, an evolving mystery here, a claim that another Israeli soldier is now in the hands of Hezbollah, a claim that came from the organization's secretary- general Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Nasrallah made the announcement during a meeting of Islamic leaders in Beirut, his comments broadcast live on Hezbollah's own television station here, Al-Manar, or "Lighthouse," as well as Lebanese state television.

Hezbollah's chief says his organization is holding an Israeli soldier of the rank of colonel who was taken by Hezbollah in what's being described by the guerrilla organization as "a complicated security operation."

Now, the reference to that complicated security operation rather than any military action is being seen here as a strong indication that the man at the center of this mystery, the Israeli, was taken in a Hezbollah intelligence sting instead of being captured in a possible gun battle like what happened to three Israeli soldiers eight days ago when they were snatched by Hezbollah guerrillas in a cross border attack in south Lebanon.

Now, Lebanese security sources here, speaking on condition of anonymity, say the information they have is that Hezbollah might have captured an Israeli Arab working for Israeli intelligence who perhaps had been seeking contact with Lebanese to get information about those three captured Israeli soldiers taken weight days ago, all of the rank of sergeant.

Now, the Israelis are saying they have no information at this stage about a missing soldier, but Ehud Barak, Israel's Prime Minister, is not ruling out the possibility that Hezbollah may be holding a reservist and Israeli Army personnel have been scouring the northern Israeli border area and settlements and communities along there, checking whether or not anybody is missing.

Now, this does really further complicate the whole issue of a possible prisoner exchange between what Hezbollah is holding in the form now, it seems, of four Israelis and many Lebanese and Arabs being held by the Israelis at the same time. It also makes the situation between Israel, Lebanon and Syria both more tense and complicated because Israel was holding Lebanon and Syria directly responsible for those three abductions of those Israeli sergeants just eight days ago.

Back to you.

LIN: All right, thank you very much, CNN's Brent Sadler live from Beirut on a very confusing situation as to who has, if they even have, an Army colonel in their possession, the Hezbollah guerrillas.

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