O'Dea denies Lebanon report
Tom BradySecurity EditorDEFENCE Minister Willie O'Dea has dismissed a report on Lebanese television that an Irish soldier fought alongside the Israeli forces in the summer clashes with Hizbollah.
The station, Al Manar, is owned and controlled by Hizbollah and based its report on the discovery of an identity card belonging to an Irish soldier in a part of south Lebanon recently vacated by the Israelis.
But the minister said yesterday there was no information available to the military authorities to substantiate the claim.
He could state categorically, he added, that no member of the Defence Forces was fighting alongside the Israelis and the person, whose ID card was found, was still a member of the Defence Forces and was not in Lebanon during the recent conflict.
Mr O'Dea disclosed that the soldier had serving with the UNIFIL peace mission in south Lebanon in 1997 and was part of a unit engaged in mine clearing duties outside a village close to one of the outposts manned by the then South Lebanon Army, which supported the Israelis.
A soldier was injured and his trousers were cut to facilitate medical treatment. As a result, his wallet containing an ID card fell out and was lost.
Mr O'Dea said he had no details on how the card was found nine years later.
Tom BradySecurity EditorDEFENCE Minister Willie O'Dea has dismissed a report on Lebanese television that an Irish soldier fought alongside the Israeli forces in the summer clashes with Hizbollah.
The station, Al Manar, is owned and controlled by Hizbollah and based its report on the discovery of an identity card belonging to an Irish soldier in a part of south Lebanon recently vacated by the Israelis.
But the minister said yesterday there was no information available to the military authorities to substantiate the claim.
He could state categorically, he added, that no member of the Defence Forces was fighting alongside the Israelis and the person, whose ID card was found, was still a member of the Defence Forces and was not in Lebanon during the recent conflict.
Mr O'Dea disclosed that the soldier had serving with the UNIFIL peace mission in south Lebanon in 1997 and was part of a unit engaged in mine clearing duties outside a village close to one of the outposts manned by the then South Lebanon Army, which supported the Israelis.
A soldier was injured and his trousers were cut to facilitate medical treatment. As a result, his wallet containing an ID card fell out and was lost.
Mr O'Dea said he had no details on how the card was found nine years later.
weird:confused:
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