PM, ministers discuss prisoner swap with Hezbollah

[Gimel]

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has convened the "Committee of Five," a ministerial panel of senior cabinet members, to report on the state of the prisoner-exchange negotiations with Hezbollah.

The committee is comprised of Sharon, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, Industry Minister Ehud Olmert and Justice Minister Yosef Lapid.

The meeting, which began Friday morning in Jerusalem, is an
indication that Sharon is starting to round up the political support he needs for the deal, which will see Israel freeing hundreds of Palestinian and others, along with Lebanese prisoners, in exchange for
Elhanan Tannenbaum and the bodies of soldiers Benny Avraham, Adi Avitan and Omer Suweid.

Sharon favors the deal, and has promised to bring it to the full plenum of the government for its approval. Mofaz believes the deal
should include some reference to missing Israel Air Force navigator Ron Arad.

<snip>

Arad alive, jailed near Tehran Missing Air Force navigator Ron Arad is alive and held by the Iranian intelligence in a small, secret jail near Tehran, the Yedioth Ahronoth daily reported Friday, quoting three
Iranian exiles.

One of the sources is a diplomat and the two others former intelligence officials, all whom are currently in Europe.

Arad has been missing since his plane was downed over Lebanon in 1986.

<snip>

The source said he worked in the prison Arad was taken to, which is near Tehran, not far from a missile factory, and that he had access to
Arad’s files. He said that he saw Arad several times and even exchanged words with him.

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/348654.html