Posted on 01/12/2002 10:49:03 AM PST by knighthawk
SAUDI ARABIA AND THE ARAB COUNTRIES INSIST ON HOLDING THE ARAB SUMMIT IN BEIRUT ON TIME.
RIYADH GRANTS THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY $45 MILLION AND SHAATH DESCRIBES RELATIONS WITH SAUDI ARABIA AS STRATEGIC.
WASHINGTON WORKS TO KEEP ZINNI'S MISSION AWAY FROM THE ISSUE OF THE ARMS SHIP.
ARAFAT STARTS INVESTIGATIONS TO REVEAL THE MYSTERIES OF ISRAEL'S CLAIMS ABOUT THE SHIP.
In a sudden political statement, the US administration has supported Israel's accusations to Palestinians regarding the 50 tonnes of weapons seized in the Red Sea.
Spokesman of the US State Department, Richard Boucher, announced that Israel's accusations are true, and described as "credible" remarks that the seized ship's captain was "under orders" from an official in the Palestinian Authority.
The State Department now says it believes the evidence of a link to Iran and Hezbollah is "compelling".
Israeli officials had expressed their anxiety over US' hesitance to accept its allegations which links the Palestinian Authority with the ship, which Israel argue that it was part of a smuggling operation co-ordinated by the Palestinian Authority, the Lebanese Hezbollah and Iran.
The United States has said there is compelling evidence of Palestinian involvement, despite Palestinian denials.
The freighter ''Karine A'' was intercepted some 500 Kilometres (300 miles) off the Israeli coast on Thursday 3 January by armed Israeli commandos.
Israeli officials claim "Operation Noah's Ark" netted a cache of military arms, worth between $10m and $15m, provided by Iran and destined for the PA.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon described the vessel "The Ship of Terror" and pointed the finger firmly at President Yasser Arafat saying the shipments "would have changed the strategic balance".
The Palestinian Authority denied any link to the vessel or any knowledge of the arms shipment and said that Israel fabricated the seizure to undermine the peace effort of US Marine General Anthony Zinni.
"This is an exaggerated Israeli comedy," said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Nabil Amre after the hawkish Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon charged that the arms haul showed Arafat was a "major player" in world terrorism.
"This flexing of muscles clearly proves that Israel's leaders and security services which have failed effectively to oppose the Intifada for 15 months need to appear as a superpower," he said.
He said that Sharon's speech in front of the arms haul the same day at the Red Sea port of Eilat "reflects to a high degree their lack of confidence."
Amre said the "irresponsible remarks made by Sharon against Arafat and the Palestinian Authority prove that this has been pushed through to make the most use" of boosting Israeli morale.
"This is a government publicity campaign whose goal is to avoid making serious use of the chance for a cease-fire, a calming of tension and a return to a political solution" to crisis, he said.
The US said, it wanted to "know the facts" before "speculating and drawing grand conclusions", but later, it supported Israel's accusations against Palestinians.
The Palestinian leadership issued a statement in which it said: Following the propaganda campaign waged by the Israeli Government and Media concerning the weapons ship, the Palestinian Leadership emphasizes the following clarifications:
First: The PL was absolutely surprised for the publications concerning this ship, because the PL is not involved in such case nor it is a part of the Palestinian policy, especially at a time when the PL is exerting 100% efforts to stop all sorts and shapes of violent activities in both side in order to facilitate for the success of the peace efforts which are the Palestinians' main objective goal, and such a case only harms the Palestinian position.
Second: The Israeli use of weapons especially the internationally forbidden kinds has brought suffering to both sides the Israeli people and the Palestinian people, and that was exactly what President Arafat has foreseen and warned of single sided by the famous speech of December the 16th, in which he restricted all uses of violence and force.
Third: The PL attitude at this stage is to change the atmosphere that dominated the region since September 28th 2000, and the results are seen on the ground of single sided cease-fire and calmness.
Fourth: The Israeli authorities have not filed any official accusations with the PNA, and President Arafat has informed Gen. Zinni the need to form an investigating Committee with the participation of the USA, Russia, the EU, Arab representatives, Israeli and Palestinian officials, to reveal the truth.
Fifth: The PL will never allow any one to sabotage the Palestinian security and commitments that have been defined by President Arafat's speech on Dec. 16th 2001.
Sixth: The Israeli stand to this incident reveals the Israeli consistency on abetting against the Palestinian People and the PL, thus avoiding the implementation of the Israeli commitments and blasting the calmness created by the Palestinian side and the rest of the internationally exerted efforts to establish peace in this region.
The Palestinian Leadership announced forming a Palestinian committee to investigate the Israeli propaganda about the ship Karine A and its cargo and the committee would report its findings to the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations.
President Yasser Arafat has said he did not believe any Palestinian Authority officials were involved in the arms shipment, but he had ordered an investigation.
"If anything is revealed - and I personally do not think it will be - we will not hesitate to bring (the culprits) before a trial," President Arafat said:
''I have informed Mr. Solana with our decision to form an internal investigative committee to investigate what the Israelis are claiming regarding the ship issue. There is no doubts that if it appears that anyone from the PNA is involved, and we don't think so, then we will certainly question and punish them,'' president Arafat told a press conference in Ramallah following his meeting with the European Union's foreign policy chief Javier Solana.
President Arafat affirmed the Palestinian full commitments to the peace process '' I repeat here in front of all the media that we are fully committed to implementing everything we are obligated to do," he said.
On his part Solana described his meeting with President Arafat as ''productive and fruitful meeting '', he added that the ''EU do welcome President Arafat position especially after the positive development which we were able to see and feel on the ground practically.''
Solana said that the EU will continue the efforts to implement the Mitchell report and all signed agreements:
''We are looking for the day in which the Palestinian people will live in peace and for sure we will work to improve their living conditions," he said.
Top Arafat aide Nabil Abu Rudeina said that "all those who are implicated in the affair will be punished if proof is established." "We will pass on the results of our internal inquiry to the Americans, Europeans, Russians and the United Nations," he said.
Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo told reporters the committee would comprise the heads of Gaza Strip and West Bank public security, Gen. Abdul Razzaq Al Majaida and Gen. Haj Ismail, the head of military intelligence Moussa Arafat, and military attorney Khalid Al Qidrah.
The Secretary General of the Arab League Amre Moussa has described the Israeli claims concerning the weapons ship seized by in the Red Sea as a sort of provoking problems to continue hostilities against the Palestinians and foil attempts aiming at resetting the peace process into it's right track.
Moussa said that Israel exploits all international developments and the American bias to Israel. He warned against the US administration continued cling to the Israeli view point. A matter which does not serve a just and comprehensive peace in the region.
The incident had taken place during US envoy General Anthony Zinni's visit to the region where he held talks with the Palestinian and Israeli officials.
Nabil Abu Rudainah, President Arafat's Media Adviser stressed that if Gen. Zinni means to succeed with his mission he should first oblige the Israeli Government to stop all its aggressive activities including the Siege, closure and assaults against the Palestinian People.
''Setting a time table for implementing the Tenet Plan and the Michel Report Recommendations will also provide swift way for success,'' Abu Rudainah added.
He also said that Gen. Zinni was sent again by President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell because the Palestinians have fulfilled their part of the needed actions for proceeding with the peace process.
He added that despite the efforts exerted by the USA, Russia, the EU and the UN, Israel is still manoeuvring to avoid implementation of the signed agreements.
He said that the trilateral security meeting was fruitful but unless decisions are materialised on the ground all such meetings will remain empty.
The West Bank leader of Arafat's Fatah movement said Zinni must set a timetable for an Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian land during his short stay.
"Every international or political effort which does not lead to an end of the occupation will fail," Marwan Barghouti said.
In the meantime, Saeb Ereqat the Palestinian Local Authorities Minister, announced that the Israeli Government did not approve the Mitchell Report Recommendations.
During his meeting with General Zinni he said that there is great difference between the Israeli Prime Minister and his Foreign Minister declarations of accepting the report and approving it by the Israeli Government.
He also said that the Israeli Government is avoiding the report because it did not approve it yet and it deceives the world for propaganda purposes when talking about peace.
From his side General Zinni reiterated the USA determination to commit to the peace process by returning it to the right track and implement the Tenet Plan and the Michel Report Recommendations.
"We will hold trilateral meetings again. I am here to make an assessment on the ground and to restart the process that we began the last time we were here" last month, Zinni said after meeting President Arafat.
Zinni remained publicly upbeat, insisting after his talks in the West Bank that his mission could bear fruit. "I am hopeful, I am encouraged," he told reporters after meeting Palestinian Cabinet member and chief negotiator Saeb Erekat in Jericho.
"I think that it's going to take co-operation from both sides and a deep commitment to get the meaningful cease-fire we need so we can get this process in order," he said.
Zinni said he saw "real opportunities for progress" after he wound up his four-day trip to the region with a joint security meeting between senior Israeli and Palestinian security officials.
In a statement issued after the meeting had finished, Zinni said: "After four days of intensive discussions with Israelis and Palestinian, it is clear that, while serious challenges remain, there are real opportunities for progress."
The statement said the US-mediated talks would continue even though Zinni himself was due to fly back to Washington at midnight (2200 GMT), adding that the retired US general would return to the region "in the near future to assess what the parties have been able to achieve" in the ongoing meetings.
The meetings are part of a US-mediated effort to reinforce a fragile cease-fire which has started to take hold in the past two weeks.
Israel was represented in the security talks by officials from the internal security service Shin Beth and the army, although no details of exactly who was participating or where the meeting was held were released.
Following Zinni's visit, the US State Department issued the following statement: "Senior Advisor Anthony Zinni has returned to the United States to brief Secretary of State Collin Powell on his recent trip.
After four days of intensive discussions with Israelis and Palestinians, it is clear that, while serious challenges remain, there are real opportunities for progress.
Working with General Zinni, Israeli and Palestinian security officials had a positive and constructive trilateral security committee meeting. The trilateral committee will continue to work on practical steps to enhance security co-operation as well as to begin planning together for the implementation of the Tenet Security Work Plan at the appropriate time.
General Zinni will return to the region in the near future to assess what the parties have been able to accomplish in the bilateral and trilateral meetings that General Zinni has asked them to convene. The United States remains committed to working with the parties to combat terrorism, end violence, implement the Mitchell Committee recommendations and resume a political process.''
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said after talks in Jordan that he still hoped for progress toward a resumption of Israeli-Palestinian talks despite Israel's seizure of an arms shipment.
Solana and Jordan's Foreign Minister Abdul Ilah Al Khatib discussed ways to build on the recent drop in violence in the uprising against Israeli occupation to restart negotiations, said a Jordanian official.
"Our hope is ... that the incident of the ship will not" ruin efforts to bring Israel and the Palestinians back to the negotiating table, the EU official told reporters after the meeting.
"Solana has been here to give us his assessment" after his latest talks with both sides and US envoy Anthony Zinni, said Al Khatib.
Meanwhile, President Yasser Arafat sent, a letter to President Thabo Mbeki of the Republic of South Africa. The message was delivered by the Palestinian Local Authority minister Dr Saeb Ereqat, who is visiting RSA.
Dr Ereqat briefed his Host with the latest developments in the region under the Israeli escalating and continuing aggression against the Palestinian People, and the dangers facing the peace process due to such Israeli aggression and arrogance, and refusal to implement the Tenet Plan and the Michel Report Recommendations.
From his side President Mbeki said that the RSA fully supports the Palestinian people and their Leadership and reiterated his country's support for establishing the free and independent Palestine with Jerusalem as its Capital.
Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has decided to grant $45 million to the Palestinian Authority which is facing an acute financial problem, due to the continuous siege imposed by Israel on the Palestinian territories.
The money will be paid over the next three months to the tune of $15 million a month. It will be used to pay the salaries of Palestinian employees in the occupied territories.
The grant was offered by the Saudi Fund for Development during a visit by Palestinian International Co-operation Minister Dr Nabil Shaath who arrived in the Kingdom last week.
Dr Shaath has explained to the Saudi leadership the severe financial problem which the Palestinian Authority is facing, as it was unable to pay the salaries of Palestinian employees.
The Palestinian International Co-operation Minister Praised the respond of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and his Crown Prince to the urgent needs of the Palestinian people lauded the Kingdom's continuous economic and political support.
In a statement to "Al Hayat" newspaper, Shaath said that this urgent grant comes in the framework of the Saudi continuous support to the Palestinian people and their just cause.
He described the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the Palestinians' strategic ally, adding that "we consider our relation with the kingdom a strategic similar to our relation with Egypt.''
Dr Shaath said that his talks with King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, his Crown Prince, Prince Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Emir of Riyadh region and Prince Saud Al Faisal the Foreign Minister came to confirm the strategic relation between Palestine and the Kingdom.
"We have informed them about the situation in the Palestinian territories and the political movements regarding pushing forward the situations in order to announce the Palestinian state, he said, adding that he consulted the Saudi leadership about steps and policies that should be adopted to face the situation, as well as thanking the Kingdom for its support to the Palestinians.
The Palestinian International Co-operation Minister explained that the grant which the Kingdom has decided to present to the Authority in a tune of $15 million in January, February and March, aims to face the Authority's needs to pay the salaries of the Palestinian employees during the interim period starting at the end of last year till the convening of the Arab summit in Beirut in the end of March.
He added that Amman summit's resolutions allocated $ 45 million from Al Aqsa and Al Quds Funds for eight months ended last year, and deciding additional amounts of money needs a resolution from the Arab summit.
"Due to the severe financial situations which the Palestinian Authority is facing during the next period which made it unable to pay the salaries of its employees, the Kingdom's leadership has responded and, thankfully, reiterated its support by offering this grant in a gest which the Palestinian people will never forget,'' Dr Shaath said.
Prince Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Emir of Riyadh had met with the Palestinian Palestinian International Co-operation Minister, and during the meeting, they discussed situations in the Palestinian occupied territories and the current political movements.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has granted $250 million to two Arab funds launched in October 2000 to provide $1 billion in assistance to the Palestinians. A number of Saudi committees are raising funds from the public in support of the Palestinian Intifada.
Regarding the summit to be held in Beirut, and will mainly concentrate on the Palestinian cause, Secretary General of Arab League, Amre Moussa began a tour in the region to pave the way for convening the summit according to schedule in Beirut.
Moussa described as groundless reports that some Arab leaders had reservations on taking part in the Arab summit to be held in Beirut in March, stressing the importance of holding the summit on time.
The Secretary General of the Arab League said that an Arab summit scheduled for March in Beirut would go ahead as planned.
"The Arab summit," whose venue Libya wants changed, "will be held in Beirut as planned," Moussa said, adding that he was "still awaiting for the Arab countries' responses to Libya's request to shift the summit venue" to Cairo.
Moussa, who said his talks cover both the upcoming summit and the situation in the Palestinian territories. He added that the current situation in the region as well as the world demands a firm and concerted action by the Arabs to regain the legitimate rights.
Libya has asked for the summit of the Arab League - scheduled to take place in March in the Lebanese capital, Beirut - to be moved to Cairo for security reasons.
But Amre Moussa, said he was confident the meeting would be held in Beirut as planned. He said the 22 member states were working hard to overcome reservations about the summit's venue.
In Beirut, Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Al Hariri that his country would host the summit as planned. "The summit will be held in Lebanon at the scheduled date, the issue has been settled," he said.
Lebanese Culture Minister, Ghassan Salameh, emphasized Lebanon's readiness to hold the regular Arab Summit in Beirut upcoming March, saying that Lebanon is currently working on this till a short notice.
Salameh also stressed that we have no option to enter into any wondering or polarization in this respect, adding that all previous summits have witnessed threats of withdrawals, incomplete representation and absence.
Minister Salameh chaired a meeting by the Supreme Organizing Committee to prepare for the Arab Summit set to take place in Beirut. The meeting was attended by representatives of the Presidency, the government and the various concerned ministries.
Speaking to media representatives following the meeting, Minister Salameh said that they are currently working the round the clock with the various concerned State institutions in order to ensure the success of the Summit.
Lebanese Foreign and Expatriates Minister, Mahmoud Hammoud, reviewed with Ghassan Salameh, the current preparations for holding the Summit.
Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Tunisia confirmed that they insist to hold the next Arab summit in the Lebanese capital of Beirut on its scheduled time.
Saudi officaial sources in Riyadh said that according to the Kingdom's commitment to the Arab summit's resolutions, among which are the resolutions of Amman summit, it supports holding the next Arab summit in Beirut in March as planned.
The Saudi sources denied the existence of any Arab conflict pertaining to the summit's agenda, adding that there are still more than two month for the summit to be held which means that it is premature to talk now about Arab conflicts which do not serve the aspect of Arab solidarity strongly needed these days.
In the meantime, Jordan's Prime Minister Ali Abu Al Ragheb stressed on the necessity to hold the next Arab summit during March in Beirut as previously planned.
Why are they talking the arms THEY bought to kill Israeli's are being used by Israel to halt the peace-talks? Why did they bought the weapons for in the first place?
A number of Saudi committees are raising funds from the public in support of the Palestinian Intifada
So the PA can buy other weapons to kill as many Israeli's as possible?
Is Peace With Israel Possible?: The Islamic Verdict
THE ARAB-ISLAMIC MIDEAST TERROR FROM 1929 TILL JULY 2001
Official (Iran) calls for setting up Islamic fund for Palestinians
The State Department now says it believes the evidence of a link to Iran and Hezbollah is "compelling"."Convincing" would be an apter, more accurate term.
And I think they have got good camels, sheep and goats there as well to party with. Or even some lama's.
These creeps could be caught red-handed launching a nuke into Jerusalm and they'd still indignantly argue that it's all a Zionist conspiracy to make Islam look bad.
I thought O'Reilly was properly disdainful of this little Pallie spinmeister. Other shows would have let him spin and lie with impunity.
Perhaps Hezbullah should launch airline suicide attack to Arab summit place, killing all head of states and blame it to Americans and Jews, and place new Jihadist leaders in all countries whose head of state are deceased. Am I going ahead of curve here ? I hope not.
These arabs are pathetic. You treat them humanely, and they claim that you have "failed effectively to oppose the intifada", send tanks in, and arrest a dozen people, and they hold an emergency arab summit and cry and whine about "war crimes".
Good idea, except we don't have many "friends" there to give them to.
Really Yassar? And when do you think you might start???Will it be before or after you finish up your 4th palace???
Deception of the other is highly valued by them.
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That's what their little snake of a spokeman was jabbering about on the O'Reilly factor. Only problem is the Palestinians are such a rag tag outfit this will never be done in good faith.
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