Well, now we know!
Those who curse the children of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob curse themself Mr Annan - God NEVER FORGETS HIS PROMISES!
How UNFORTUNATE & SO SAD!

are apparently the problem. I think that "the demand for Hizballah to return them alive" is a sticking point because it would mean two LIVE Jews. Not two dead as the UN and Kofi prefer.

Disgusting, but typical.

Kofi Annan is a disgrace.
He is the mouth peace for hezbollah, notice the little Syrian Introduction?
"Annan estimates that directing Syrian President Bashar Assad to agree to a full peace with Israel is desirous"
Crap: don''t even start talking rubbish about Golan, this has got nothing to do with Syria[or has it??], and to even suggest this is basically stating Syria is a Terrorist supporter trying to derive benefit out of a Terrorist act.

"...One of the problems in the negotiations for the release of the two kidnapped Israeli soldiers in Lebanon is the demand for Hizballah to return them alive."

Yeah, that''s quite a point of contention. It would be much more reasonable for the Jews to simply be contented by their dead bodies, killed mercifully with minimal desecration.

Oh well. You can''t make all the infidels happy, all the time.

This man shouldn''t even be allowed to lead a picnic, let alone the UN!! Let''s hope the new guy will have a sense of fairness & some leadership qualities!

The most powerful states can react without fear of either the eu/un to save their own. Israel has to run cap in hand to the totally unreliable UN (Kofi Annan) in a attempt to save their soldiers. what happened to their excellent Mossad etc., who have a proven track record in hunting down their enemies AND saving their own people.

What would you expect from the leader of the most under acheiving organization in the history of the world....the u.n. is actually making the world a more unstable place...the u.n. has become nothing more than a corrupt relief organization...taking tax-payer money and redistributing it based on under-handed political pourposes....wait a minute...the u.n. has become....the democratic party...save the world! ... disband the u.n.

HOW did this man become the sec-gen of the UN? The UN is as useless as he is & as anti-Israel as he is. He doesn''t know what he''s talking about. GOODBYE mr annan!!

Hmmm...I did hear that about a year ago...about Annan being a Muslim...interesting...

@Patricia - Kofi Annan is not a Muslim. No Muslim has ever headed the UN. There was a Muslim in the running to succeed Annan, Prince Zeid Al-Hussein from Jordan. He wasn''t chosen, though.

Kofi Annan will be gone in January, thank goodness.

WHAT PERSON IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD TRUST ANNAN. JUST AYING THAT PART OF THE PROBLEM IS TO RETURN THEM ALIVE. THE HIZBALLAH ARE SAVAGE ANIMALS. THERE IS NO OTHER WORD FOR THEM. YOU CERTAINLY CAN''T SAY THEY ARE PART OF THE HUMAN RACE. MY PRESIDENT IS ABSOLUTELY WRONG IN TRYING TO DIVIDE G-DS LAND. THIS WILL ONLY LED TO TROULBE FOR BOTH SIDES. US AND ISRAEL.!

I don''t think someone could be any more clear than Annan. They''re not alive.

Racism is racism whether anti-semitic or anti black. We judge people by their fruit (what they say and do) not by their skin color. Annan''s fruit is pretty obvious.

"What do you expect from a black man?"
Skin color is NOT the issue here.

Annan is a Muslim - is automatically an enemy of those who worship the true and living God....He worships a false god - not the LORD God of Israel, the true Creator. He also is anti-Semitic against the Jews, so he has been setting the tone against Israel for years. And the United Nations has a long history of backward "diplomacy" policies that seem to be as effective and successful as a cup of warm spit against a huge fire.
The new man to take over is a South Korean...has anyone here done the homework to find out his background? Just curious...if so, please share.

Alive means Alive & Unhurt. If these soldiers are not returned alive then Israel must take action to destroy Hizbollah again. And now right to the core.

Sound to me like he may be trying to overtly say they are dead already, but are being used as a delay tactic until Hizballah has gotten it’s ‘aid’ for arms and amassed more arms from Syria and Iran. Is there proof of life????

Of course, we want the kidnapped soldiers alive.

I can''t believe that Mr.

Annan would say such a thing.

He knows we want all of them alive.

I''m shaking my head.

He must have been misqouted at the very least.

I hope he was.

...#1 and that is just for starters! Problem is returning Israeli soldiers alive!!!!! DUH!!!! Of course, we want them alive. This Annan is an embarrassement to civilization. I''ve never seen a more INEFFECTIVE individual......I''ll be so lad when he is gone and hope that it is not too late to clean up his messes.

He''s an IDIOT and a THIEF