Posted on 06/20/2002 10:38:18 AM PDT by RCW2001
| Israeli occupation blocking Mideast peace - Annan | |
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By Irwin Arieff
UNITED NATIONS, June 20 (Reuters) - Resolving the Middle
East crisis depends "first and foremost" on Israel withdrawing
its settlements from Palestinian territory and ending its
occupation, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on
Thursday.
In a closed-door briefing to the U.N. Security Council
chaired by Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq al-Shara, Annan also
faulted the Palestinian Authority for failing to do all it
could to stop suicide bombings and assure Israel's security.
"Even recognizing their limited capacity to act at present,
the Palestinian Authority and its leadership must do more to
de-legitimize terrorism among the public and to stop terrorists
from attacking Israel," he told the 15-nation council.
"Israel has a right, like any state, to live within secure
and recognized borders. Terrorism must be stopped -- once and
for all," he said, according to a text of his remarks released
by the United Nations.
"First and foremost, any lasting solution of this conflict
can only be based on an end to Israel's occupation of
Palestinian territory and the withdrawal of Israel's
settlements from it," Anan said.
"There will be neither peace nor security as long as the
occupation continues," he said, calling on Israel to end all
settlement activity and withdraw its forces to positions held
before the the Palestinian revolt that began in September 2000
after a deadlock in talks on a Palestinian state.
At least 1,403 Palestinians and 540 Israelis have been
killed in the subsequent violence.
Annan spoke after two Palestinian suicide bombings that
killed 25 Israelis and prompted Israel to announce a new policy
of retaking territory transferred to Palestinian self-rule in
the 1990s under interim peace deals.
The back-to-back attacks also prompted U.S. President
George W. Bush to delay a speech charting a course toward
Palestinian statehood, apparently concerned it could offend
Israelis reeling from violence and seem to reward the bombers.
Annan told the council the situation in the Middle East
remained dangerously unstable, as international efforts aimed
at ending the violence had so far failed to bring the parties
any closer to a permanent solution.
To end the conflict, all the key issues -- the Israeli
occupation, the absence of security for Israel and "the dire
humanitarian and economic conditions in the West Bank and Gaza
-- had to be tackled urgently "in parallel and without
preconditions," he said.
Noting the presence of the Syrian foreign minister, who
came to New York to mark Syria's presidency of the Security
Council during June, Annan said he hoped negotiations could
soon resume on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks of the Middle
East peace process.
Talks on the Syrian track broke off in January 2000 and
have shown no sign of resuming. The Lebanese track also depends
heavily on Syria, which has some 20,000 troops and effective
political authority in Lebanon.
Annan also warned about the volatility of the situation
across the blue line marking the border between northern Israel
and southern Lebanon, where Syrian-backed Hizbollah guerrillas
have clashed with Israeli troops in a disputed border zone.
Israeli military planes also regularly fly over the line
into southern Lebanese airspace.
"It is possible that even a small incident could spark
broader conflict," Annan said of the volatile border area. "The
United Nations position is clear: Any attack across the blue
line constitutes a violation of Security Council decisions and
cannot be tolerated."
((United Nations bureau, +1 212 355-6053, fax 1 212 355-0143,
irwin.arieff@reuters.com))
20 JUN 2002 17:24:41 Israeli occupation blocking Mideast peace - Annan
How about Turner and Blair's wife start taking the Isareli public buses?
As long as American troops are not put in harms way for the UN's foolhardy peacekeeper mission, I've got no problem with it.
What else do you expect from the UN?
Peace == The state of affairs that exists when only Jews are getting killed.
Oh, and all Americans are Jews.
Do you feel that the Palestinian practice of blowing up innocent Israelis is blocking Middle East peace?
No......I didn't think so.
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