Annan, EU condemn Jerusalem attack, appeal for peace

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and senior European Union officials appealed to Israelis and Palestinians on Thursday to get back to the negotiating table in the wake of Thursday's suicide bombing.

Annan and Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen, whose country holds the EU presidency, both condemned the attack on a bus in Jerusalem, which killed at least 10 bystanders and wounded 50 others.

"I am once again going to appeal to leaders for the sake of their people and their nations to summon the courage and leadership to get back to the table," Annan said.

He urged them to "make ... parallel concessions and to take confidence-building measures to move the process ahead."

Cowen said the bus attack should not deter attempts to implement the so-called road map for peace that is being pushed by the U.N., the EU, Russia and the United States.

"The bombings ... are deplorable, they represent a path to violence, they are certainly contrary to the interests of peace," said Cowen. "It's a very deeply pessimistic background against which we are operating, but inaction is not an option."

Annan, speaking to reporters at the European Parliament after receiving the EU's Sakharov human rights prize, said he was "frustrated and disappointed" on the ongoing stalemate in the Middle East.

He said more had to be done by Israeli and Palestinian political leaders to implement the road map.

"We cannot do it without the will and determination of the parties," he said. "We need to find ways to end this cycle of violence, revenge in attacks as we have seen today," Annan said. "We will do the best we can, but they have to show the leadership for the sake of their own people."

The road map calls for an end to violence and aims to build a Palestinian state by 2005. But talks have sputtered amid the violence.

When the terrorist attacks took place in Turkey, the UN and the EU were telling Turkey to go get the perpetrators. Guess when its Israel involved, this notion is quickly no where to be found.

Peace isn't going to happen as long as these numbnut islamists are expecting a 72 virgin orgy after death. This is war. Treat it like war.

Annan and the EU are behind these murders and behind the murders of Iraqis FOR YEARS.

They have funded, supported, encouraged, and helped Arafat murder both Americans, and Christians and Jews worldwide.

I love it, Isreal is attacked and the usual suspects "plead for "peace with the isreali" leadership.

It is particularly shameful to hear this out of the Irish given their history.

>"The bombings ... are deplorable, they represent a path to violence, they are certainly contrary to the interests of peace," said Cowen

Once a bomb goes off,
I think you're at violence,
not a "path" to it...

You know any where in the world if Jews and Christians were Suicide Bombers these 2 Monotheistic Faiths would come out of the wood work to denounce this activity and apprehend any person killing themselves to kill others in the name of Judiasm and Christianity this would not be tolerated for 1 SECOND!

If ISLAM is this religion of PEACE where are there leaders?
Why don't they teach there young that if they do this horrible activity to innocent human lives and them selves the only place they are going is straight to HELL!

Why does America keep trying to be a big kiss a---s to Muslims by perpetuating a notion they are about PEACE???

One Big Huge Lie....

"We cannot do it without the will and determination of the parties," he said. "We need to find ways to end this cycle of violence, revenge in attacks as we have seen today," Annan said. "We will do the best we can, but they have to show the leadership for the sake of their own people."

Annan has his head up his kazoo, as usual.

There is no "cycle of violence". There is only the ongoing mass murder of Jews by Arabs dating back to before the foundation of the modern state. It is supported by Arabs and Moslems in and out of governments worldwide.

Arafat and the other foreigners on Israeli soil are showing their leadership -- they are leading the ongoing mass murder of Jews.

7 posted on 01/29/2004 10:40:59 AM PST by SunkenCiv (there's no such thing as the "West Bank", and no such thing as a Palestinian ethnic group)

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