Posted on 05/09/2002 12:13:27 PM PDT by MeekOneGOP
Breaking - A Deal Reached to End
Standoff at Church of the Nativity
Per FOX News Channel Breaking News announcement.
I will post further updates, if any from FOX News Channel........
Anyone else see this or other report from another news outlet?
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BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) - European diplomats said Thursday that a new deal was emerging to end the five-week standoff at the Church of the Nativity by dividing among several countries the 13 suspected militants Israel wants deported.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that a deal had not been reached.
Two well-placed U.S. officials said that European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana is trying to get Spain, France and Italy each to accept some of the Palestinians in the church. One said it was premature to say that a deal had been concluded.
An Italian Foreign Ministry official said that under the proposed deal, various European countries would take in the Palestinians.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Italy and Spain were likely to take some while other countries that might participate were Austria, Greece, Luxembourg, Ireland and perhaps even Canada.
The official said that shifting the focus from a single country - Italy - to Europe as a whole made the new arrangement workable. The official said details of the terms of the exiles would be worked out at an EU meeting in Brussels on Monday.
A European Union official close to Solana said a deal had been reached that involved all the people in the church including the 13 suspected militants. The official declined to give further details but said there would be an announcement from the region later.
The office of Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar of Spain, which holds the EU rotating presidency, said an agreement was close but not yet completed.
"I think we are very close to a solution, that it is very imminent," said Fernando Garcia Casas, Aznar's spokesman.
"Some time tonight (the standoff) could be resolved," he said. He said it hadn't yet been determined which country or countries would receive 13.
Previous deals to end the standoff have broken down, the latest because of a disagreement over sending a European monitor into the shrine, negotiators said.
Buses pulled into Manger Square early Thursday, presumably to transport those inside the church to their destinations.
But hours later the talks broke down and the buses drove away empty.
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators accused each other Thursday of violating the terms of their arduously reached agreement. The Palestinians said Israel refused at the last minute to implement the deal and the Israelis said the Palestinians had made new, unacceptable demands.
"They torpedoed an effort which would have brought almost to a complete close the crisis," said an Israeli military spokesman, Capt. Jacob Dallal. Efforts to resolve the standoff continued, he said.
Under the earlier deal, a group of 26 suspected gunmen was to leave the church first Thursday, to be transported to Gaza and about 80 civilians inside the church would be freed, Dallal said. The last 13 would remain while negotiators worked to find a country to take them.
The Jordanian news agency, meanwhile, reported the kingdom had refused a request to take the 13 suspected militants.
"Jordan's position is firm and clear ... Jordan rejects the principle of the deportation and the displacement of the Palestinian citizens to Jordan, even temporarily," the Petra agency quoted an unidentified official as saying. The report did not say when the request was made.
In Cairo, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa told reporters Thursday that "there is a total Arab rejection to the issue of deportation."
Arab leaders fear a precedent would be set at a time when they continue to insist on the Palestinian right of return. They also fear being accused of cooperating with Israel.
The siege began April 2 when more than 200 Palestinians fled into the church, which marks the birthplace of Jesus, ahead of invading Israeli forces. In the weeks that followed, several groups of civilians and Palestinian policemen left the compound.
AP-ES-05-09-02 1448EDT
This story can be found at : http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAFVW8Z01D.html
EU: Country to be named for exiled Palestinians
Under the terms of a proposed deal, 26 Palestinian gunmen would be sent to Gaza where they could face trial on terrorism charges. Approximately 80 other Palestinians not wanted by Israel would be set free.
The remaining 13 Palestinian gunmen, who Israel says have taken part in terror attacks on Israelis, would be sent into exile. The plan had stalled earlier in the week when Italy refused a request to accept all 13.
Israel and Palestinian negotiators held talks Thursday morning to work out an interim arrangement that would leave the 13 in the church until there was a place for them to go.
The EU sources said the nation where the fighters would be exiled would be announced within hours.
Palestinians demanded that European Union envoy Alistair Crooke be allowed to stay with the fighters inside the church to assure their safety. Another snag was said to be the weapons the Palestinians have with them and whether they would be surrendered to the Israelis.
Probably not, but I mean THIS this time---
I HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THE 'DOOR OF HUMILITY' ON MY TV SCREEN SINCE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND I AM GETTING SICK OF IT!!
Haven't you heard .. ANY MINUTE NOW!!!
Poor Geraldo .. he has been waiting by that church door for how many days now???
What is it with these duplicate threads? Oh, wait a minute . . . this is a DIFFERENT deal!
Probably not. Why do I feel I am re-living November 2000 all over again?
a.cricket
"Some time tonight (the standoff) could be resolved," he
said. He said it hadn't yet been determined which country
or countries would receive 13.
Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my ping list!. . .don't be shy.
Another thought that crossed my mind is that this is all very reminiscent of how the Catholic church handled abusive priests - by transferring them to another parish. I'll bet dollars to doughnuts that one or more of these turds being sent into exile will be responsible for a terrorist attack in the future, either in Israel or elsewhere. When that happens, the idea of exiling these murderous thugs will not look so clever in retrospect.
Other examples of 'standing heads':
"Arafat orders terror bombings to stop"
"Priest charged with abuse"
"Democrats call for more taxes"
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