UN probes Hezbollah video bungle

Mr Annan said the UN had been hurt by the affair

The United Nations has opened an internal investigation into what it described as the "mishandling" of a videotape that may provide clues about the abduction of Israeli soldiers by Lebanese militants.

After months of denying the existence of the footage, the UN last week offered to give Israel a censored copy - with faces blurred - in response to demands from the Israeli Government.

A spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Wednesday that the UN was "embarrassed and its credibility was hurt by what appears to be a mishandling of this event".

The UN is caught between a rock and a hard place over the video, with Israel demanding the unedited footage and Hezbollah saying that handing it over would effectively make the UN spies for Israel.

Possible leads

The video - made by UN peacekeepers some 18 hours after three Israeli soldiers were abducted in October - shows vehicles allegedly used by Hezbollah guerrillas.

The soldiers have been held for nine months

It is also reported to show the faces of guerrillas who prevented the UN peacekeepers from salvaging the vehicles as evidence.

The videotape may support the Israeli allegation that the kidnappers were disguised as UN troops.

UN Under-secretary-General Joseph Connor is to head the probe and has been ordered to report "as soon as possible", Mr Annan's spokesman Fred Eckhard said.

Israeli praise

Israeli Defence Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer praised the UN decision to open an inquiry, an Israeli newspaper reported.

Mr Ben-Eliezer was pleased by the probe

But he repeated Israel's demand for "the entire videotape and any other information concerning the capture of the soldiers".

There has been outrage in Israel that the UN at first denied the existence of the 30-minute video film, which may provide clues as to the fate of its soldiers.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon reportedly exchanged "harsh" words with Mr Annan by telephone late on Monday.

Mr Annan has reportedly apologised to Mr Sharon for the UN's initial denial that the tape existed.

Suspicions

Ordinary Israelis are deeply suspicious of the UN, which they say is dominated by countries hostile to the Jewish state.

Hezbollah warned that it might regard UN troops as spies

Many suspect its peacekeepers of taking bribes from Hezbollah not to interfere in last October's abduction - a charge the UN categorically denies.

Many Palestinians, on the other hand, feel that UN is an American - and therefore pro-Israeli - lap-dog.

Hezbollah is still keeping the men in a secret location and has refused to provide any information about them or a fourth Israeli captive until Israel agrees to release Lebanese prisoners it is holding as "bargaining chips" for missing Israeli servicemen in Lebanon.

Although nine months have passed since the soldiers were abducted, Israel believes the video-tape may provide new clues for its analysts.