Copyright 2003 Haaretz
July 16
HEADLINE: Israeli Civilian Tannenbaum is Alive but in Poor Health
BYLINE: Haaretz Service
Retired IDF colonel Elhanan Tannenbaum, who was
kidnapped by Hezbollah three years ago, is alive
but in poor health, a top government official with
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's entourage in London
said Tuesday.
The official also revealed that
Tannenbaum was abducted from
Abu Dhabi, and not from Europe
as was previously thought,
Israel Radio reported.
During the years following his abduction, various sources expressed concern regarding his medical condition, saying that he was in need of medical supervision.
Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's
secretary-general, said shortly after the
kidnapping in 2000 that Tannenbaum was alive
and in the hands of his organization.
Nasrallah claimed that Tannenbaum was an agent
for the Mossad, Israel's secret service. He
said that Tannenbaum flew to Lebanon on a
forged passport pretending to be an operative
of an unidentified foreign intelligence
service, believing that he would meet with a
top Hezbollah official. "Under security
surveillance, with a smooth plan, we lured him
to Lebanon and he walked in on his own feet,"
he said.
Negotiations between Israel and Hezbollah over
Tannenbaum's release in the past have not yielded results.