Posted on 04/15/2002 3:05:51 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
Beirut, April 16, IRNA -- A Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in
Lebanon told IRNA Monday that US Secretary of State Collin Powell's
Monday trip to Beirut is the threat message of the US administration
for both Lebanon and Syria in the sensitive current political
atmosphere.
Head of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's Fatah Movement in
Lebanon Sultan abu al-Ainain who was speaking to IRNA on the
sidelines of a press conference held at southern Lebanon's
Rashidiyyeh refugee camp added, "in order to convey his threat message
to Beirut and Damascus governments, Powell has entered direct talks
with these two front-line countries' top officials.
He said: "in Lebanon, they wish to urge the government to put an
immediate end to Hizbullah's operations aimed at liberation of the
remainder of Lebanese soil from the Zionist forces' occupation,
including in Shaaba Farms region."
The PNA official urged the Lebanese and Syrian authorities to be
ready to give a severe and definite "defensive response" to the
occupying Israeli forces in case the conditions call for such an
urgent move.
Abu al-Ainain said that the current military incursions of the
Zionist army against the Palestinian people inside their own
territories are in fact the US administration's war against the
Palestinians.
He added, "the US administration's mounting pressure on
President Yasser Arafat and the recent comments of (the US President
George W.) Bush on Israel's self-defense rights, are sufficient
proof that this is a fully American war, launched by the Zionist
army against us."
Expressing his objection to the opening of a new war front
against the Zionist regime in southern Lebanon, the PNA authority
said: "now that all Arab countries are practically silent about the
zionist incursions and there is no other military front for the
usurper Zionist army, It does not make sense to activate the
southern Lebanon front,"
He said, "particularly more so, since besides the Shaaba Farms
that belong to Lebanon, there are lots of other Arab lands, belonging
to several other countries that are currently occupied by the
Zionists, the liberation of which calls for a collective move on the
part of all involved parties against the usurper Zionist regime."
Abu al-Ainain said: "the southern Lebanon front should be
activated after the fronts with the Zionist army are activated in
Syria, Jordan, and Egypt.
NA/JB
End
::irna 00:06
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