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Last update - 00:30 17/07/2008
Prisoner swap
Kuntar vows to continue his 'resistance' against Israel
By Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Service and AP
Tags: Hezbollah, Eldad Regev 

Convicted terrorist Samir Kuntar on Wednesday vowed to continue his 'resistance' against Israel, speaking at a Beirut rally welcoming his return and that of four Hezbollah men Israel released as part of a swap deal with the Lebanon-based guerilla group.

"I returned today from Palestine but believe me I will not return until I go back to Palestine," he told the roaring crowd. "I promise my people and dear ones in Palestine that I and my dear comrades in the valiant Islamic resistance are returning."

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, addressing the same rally, declared that there would be no more defeats at the hand of Israel.
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"The age of defeats is gone, and the age of victories has come. This people, this nation gave a great and clear image today to its friends and enemies that it cannot be defeated," Nasrallah told tens of thousands of cheering supporters.

Shortly before being whisked away by bodyguards, Nasrallah said Hezbollah had achieved its two major goals since the end of the Second Lebanon War, to gain the release of all Lebanese prisoners in Israel and form a national unity government from the country's fractured political parties.

Large banners behind him read "divine victory" and "God's achievement by our hands." Earlier in the day, Hezbollah transferred to Israel Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, the Israel Defense Forces soldiers kidnapped by its guerillas in a cross-border raid that sparked the 2006 war.

The Shi'ite leader kissed and hugged each of the five men in his first public appearance since January. Nasrallah, who only appeared for the third time in public since the war fearing Israeli assassination, later addressed the crowd from a secret location on a giant projection screen.

Earlier Wednesday evening, hundreds of spectators turned out to celebrate at a red carpet and honor guard welcome as the five made their first public appearance in the southern Lebanon border town of Naqoura.

The five, clad in combat fatigues, walked behind militants carrying the Palestinian, Lebanese and Hezbollah flags. They were greeted by Hezbollah officials and Muslim clerics as they stood at a podium.

President Shimon Peres denounced the red carpet treatment, drawing a comparison between the behavior of Israelis, mourning the two Israel Defense Forces soldiers whose bodies were returned after two years as part of the swap, and what he called Lebanese "dancing and drumming."

The Lebanese government declared Wednesday a national holiday to celebrate the "liberation of prisoners from the jails of the Israeli enemy and the return of the remains of martyrs."

In the exchange, Israel also handed over almost 200 bodies of Palestinian and Lebanese fighters.

Coffins containing the bodies of Regev and Goldwasser were delivered to the Israel-Lebanon border on Wednesday morning by Hezbollah. They were later delivered to an army camp in northern Israel, where their families were waiting.

On the Lebanese side of the Rosh Hanikra Israel-Lebanon border crossing, Hezbollah erected a platform upon which to honor Kuntar. Lebanese, Palestinian and Hezbollah flags were hung above the stage.

A former cellmate of Samir Kuntar, Jaber Weshah, who is now deputy director of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights in Gaza, said: "Today is a true day of joy for all Palestinians and all freedom lovers across the world."

Related articles:
  • Peres pardons Kuntar, says 'no forgiveness in my decision'
  • Report: One of IDF soldiers to be swapped was killed in kidnapping
  • Mother of Kuntar victim: How can you pardon him?
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      1.   One man`s terrorist 11:57  |  Chris Linthwaite 16/07/08
      2.   Olmert you`ve got about an hour left to pull a fast one on Satana 11:58  |  Tach Bulote 16/07/08
      3.   only extremists celebrate savagery ? 12:19  |  Boston liberal 16/07/08
      4.   MK Steinetz is right! The entire Nation of Israel 12:40  |  Dagma 16/07/08
      5.   What a culture it is that elevates the image of a murderer of a 12:43  |  G`vald 16/07/08
      6.   By their heroes you shall know them 13:15  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 16/07/08
      7.   What do the Israelis think? 13:18  |  Paul 16/07/08
      8.   Red Carpet 13:20  |  Meelitabel 16/07/08
      9.   Chris Linthwaite another deathless whatever? 13:22  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 16/07/08
      10.   #1 Chris Linthwaite`s "freedom fighter" 13:26  |  Yonatan 16/07/08
      11.   re: #5 G`vald 14:31  |  Toby 16/07/08
      12.   Israel Should have the death penalty........ 14:37  |  Marc Benson 16/07/08
      13.   To Yonatan from Kfar-Saba 15:09  |  Lebanese in Canada 16/07/08
      14.   a mercenary 15:16  |  gadf 16/07/08
      15.   re:#11 nice try 15:32  |  David 16/07/08
      16.   #9 Margie in Tel Aviv Re Linthwaite 15:39  |  H 16/07/08
      17.   #1, but should be that first man`s.... 15:44  |  Paul Freedman 16/07/08
      18.   Chris Linthwaite One man`s cold blooded murderer of 3 yer old 15:49  |  Dan 16/07/08
      19.   Chris Linthwaite - #1 15:56  |  David Israel 16/07/08
      20.   In Lebanon.A curse Upon Them 15:59  |  THE TEACHER/INSTRUCT 16/07/08
      21.   CORRECTION in Lebanon, red carpet laid for convicted MURDERER 16:04  |  Gil 16/07/08
      22.   #14 H of London 16:07  |  Chris Linthwaite 16/07/08
      23.   #18 Dan of Haifa 16:14  |  Chris Linthwaite 16/07/08
      24.   RED CARPET IS LAID OUT FOR MURDERER KUNTAR WHILE SOLDIERS ARE 16:24  |  glenna 16/07/08
      25.   Chris Linthwaite (#1) Cheer for your hero 16:30  |  Gil 16/07/08
      26.   #22 Chris Linthwaite 16:31  |  H 16/07/08
      27.   Mandela Still On US terrorist List 16:39  |  Reminder 16/07/08
      28.   To Chris Lintwaite 16:44  |  The Judge 16/07/08
      29.   Kuntar ALWAYS DENIED killing the girl 16:52  |  reminder 16/07/08
      30.   #26 H of London 17:07  |  Chris Linthwaite 16/07/08
      31.   Thanks Lebanon For Legitimizing Attacks On 4 Year Olds 17:08  |  Brad 16/07/08
      32.   Chris Linthwaite - one man`s child killer is still a child killer 17:09  |  Joe Sittizen 16/07/08
      33.   Pity for the poor Lebanese people 17:09  |  Ulf 16/07/08
      34.   #28 The Judge 17:11  |  Chris Linthwaite 16/07/08
      35.   Nauseating 17:15  |  Nathaniel 16/07/08
      36.   Samir Kuntar is in Lebanon 17:29  |  Lebanese in Canada 16/07/08
      37.   Chris Linthwaite 17:34  |  Deborah 16/07/08
      38.   To Ulf "Pity for the poor Lebanese people" 17:42  |  Lebanese in Canada 16/07/08
      39.   "a national holiday"- what a neighborhood 17:43  |  newageblues 16/07/08
      40.   Linthwaite continues the "liberation" lie 17:50  |  Joe Sittizen 16/07/08
      41.   A proud day for Lebanon 17:51  |  utagawa 16/07/08
      42.   response to #5 and almost everyone else 17:52  |  Ahmed Shama 16/07/08
      43.   Lebanese in Canada 18:01  |  Avrum 16/07/08
      44.   Poor Lebanon 18:06  |  Mr. Tears 16/07/08
      45.   Reminder 18:07  |  rich 16/07/08
      46.   #9 Margie 18:08  |  Harald 16/07/08
      47.   Sadly Lebanon Has Joined The League of Terrorist States 18:11  |  Laguna Geno 16/07/08
      48.   Ahmed Shama 18:11  |  Yosemite 16/07/08
      49.   #37 Joe Sittizen 18:13  |  Chris Linthwaite 16/07/08
      50.   kUNTAR is a Murderer and has to be treated as such 18:15  |  Dagma 16/07/08
      51.   Ahmed Shama, no one Praises Baruch Goldstein 18:17  |  Big Sur 16/07/08
      52.   #35 Deborah 18:20  |  Chris Linthwaite 16/07/08
      53.   negotiation 18:27  |  democrat 16/07/08
      54.   Chris Linthwaite (#52) And we are telling you he is a Murderer 18:37  |  Gil 16/07/08
      55.   Chris Linthwaite (#52) And we are telling you he is a Murderer 18:38  |  Gil 16/07/08
      56.   Victory for Hezballah? 18:54  |  Edifice 16/07/08
      57.   Red Carpet in Lebanon... tears in Israel. 19:02  |  justiceforall 16/07/08
      58.   Kuntar 20:12  |  Appalled 16/07/08
      59.   wow kuntar makes me sick 20:20  |  lolol 16/07/08
      60.   Marc Benson, Would the Death Penalty Apply only to Non-Jews? 20:27  |  Monitor 16/07/08
      61.   Lindthwaite: some call it rape. Some call it love. 20:42  |  Omri 16/07/08
      62.   #12, If at war, Israel at liberty to level Beirut.. 20:45  |  Martin 16/07/08
      63.   How many Palestinian kids have been killed by the IDF? 20:45  |  George 16/07/08
      64.   It says a lot of what Lebanon is all about 20:49  |  Conroy 16/07/08
      65.   chris limpthwaites freedom fighter,shoots innocent civillians, 20:49  |  terrornator 16/07/08
      66.   Linthwaite did not say Kuntar is a hero 20:50  |  Joseph Jibran 16/07/08
      67.   # 56 Edifice....Looks as if the Leb Gov thinks so 20:57  |  Lynn 16/07/08
      68.   Re: Lebanese Canadian 21:04  |  alex 16/07/08
      69.   To Chris Linthwaite 21:07  |  sean parker