Iran seeks joint committee with Lebanon to learn fate of four diplomats missing since 1982

Tehran Wants Joint Committee with Beirut on Its Missing Diplomats Iran on Tuesday asked Lebanon to form a joint committee with Tehran to tackle the cause of its four citizens missing in Lebanon since Israel’s 1982 invasion. “The Islamic republic is calling for the formation an Iranian-Lebanese committee to be created to look into the details and circumstances of this incident,” Iran’s Ambassador Mohammed Reza Shibani told reporters after meeting Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh.The four Iranians — Mohsen Mousavi, Ahmad Motevaselian, Taqi Rastegarmoghaddam — and Kazem Akhavan, went missing at a checkpoint manned by Lebanese Forces militiamen at the northern Barbara region. Iran and Hizbullah say the four were turned over by the Lebanese Forces to Israel and have asked Israel to reveal their fate. Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah recently said Israel has informed the group that the four Iranians had been killed by the Lebanese Forces militia shortly after their abduction. Lebanese Forces Party leader Samir Geagea says the previous LF official in charge of the case, Elie Hobeika, was killed in 2002 and no one has information about the fate of the four Iranians. Nasrallah last week said the Lebanese Government should be responsible about the case. He also said the Lebanese Forces Party has the key to resolve the mystery. “Had they turned them over to Israel, let them say that. And had they killed them, let them deliver their bodies,” Nasrallah told a Press conference.

Beirut, 03 Feb 09, 16:02