31.   Analysts said Pyongyang had already achieved limited success through the helicopter incident -- opening a channel with Washington to discuss military affairs outside the MAC.

32.   Ambassadors however failed to agree on how quickly these channels should be opened.

33.   The Yediot Aharonot commented that Israeli commandos had snatched the relatives of several Hezbollah leaders in Lebanon but still failed to open any channels for negotiations to release Arad.