Israel Radio reported Monday that UN Secretary General Kofi Annan had expressed regret to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon over the UN's handling of a video connected to Hizbollah's capture of three Israeli soldiers.
Annan’s call overnight came after the UN admitted to having hidden information from Israel about a video UN peacekeepers shot after the capture of the soldiers last October.
During the conversation, Sharon asked Annan to pressure Syria into allowing officials of the world body to visit the three soldiers, said the radio, cited by Haaretz newspaper.
According to the report, Sharon asked the UN chief to use the fact that Syria is scheduled to join the Security Council as a pressure lever on Damascus.
Syria is the major powerbroker in Lebanon, where it has some 30,000 troops.
Sharon also asked Annan to give Israel access to all the items related to the capture, including those collected by UN personnel.
A UN inquiry revealed the the world body possessed two videotapes filmed after the soldiers were captured in the occupied Shebaa Farms region, which borders Lebanon, Syria and Israel, not one, as was divulged in July despite months of UN denials.
Annan, in a statement, affirmed "it is clear that serious errors of judgment were made, in particular by those who failed to convey information to the Israelis," but insisted the concealment had not been ill-intentioned – Albawaba.com
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