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To: Oldeconomybuyer; kattracks; Semper Paratus
http://www.reuters.co.il/news2000/N2STLD6M.HTM
World reacts with alarm to Mideast violence



World reacts with alarm to Mideast violence  

    By Helen Popper 
    LONDON, March 29 (Reuters) - World leaders expressed alarm 
at the deteriorating situation in the Middle East on Friday, 
with Russia criticising Israel's measures to isolate Palestinian 
President Yasser Arafat. 
    Following a Palestinian suicide attack that killed 20 
Israelis, Israeli troops smashed their way into Arafat's West 
Bank compound, declaring him an enemy and triggering street gun 
battles. 
    "Moscow is extremely concerned about the alarming dynamics 
of developments in the region," Interfax news agency quoted a 
Russian Foreign Ministry official as saying. 
    Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said Israel's announced 
intention to isolate Arafat "is not the way that could help find 
a political solution to the current situation", Interfax 
reported. 
    He called for action by the international community "to halt 
this crisis which threatens not only regional stability but 
could also spill over beyond the region". 
    The European Union reaffirmed that Arafat remained a 
legitimate authority and its interlocutor for peace, while 
French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine criticised Israel's 
"attempt to stifle Arafat". 
    EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana spoke by telephone to 
Arafat and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres to press for a 
ceasefire and urge both sides to seize the opportunity offered 
by an Arab summit's endorsement of Saudi peace proposals. 
    "Arafat is our interlocutor, as EU leaders said at the 
Barcelona summit (on March 16). He remains our interlocutor and 
the legitimate authority," Solana's spokeswoman Cristina Gallach 
told Reuters. 
    She said the EU considered that Israel had a legitimate 
right to fight terrorism, but "military means are not going to 
solve the problem of terrorism". 
    Vedrine told Radio France Internationale the chances of 
peace were "very slight". 
    "I understand how the Israelis might feel faced with this 
terrifying pressure of attacks...but I don't think that massive 
repression and the attempt to stifle Arafat...can lead to a 
solution," he added. 
     
    SERIOUS CONCERN 
    China expressed "serious concern" and called for an 
immediate ceasefire on both sides. 
    The Foreign Ministry in Beijing called for "urgent action" 
by the international community to get both sides back to the 
negotiating table as soon as possible and said China was willing 
to work with the relevant sides. 
    "We strongly call on both the Israelis and Palestinians to 
exercise restraint to the greatest extent possible, immediately 
cease all violent activities and avoid heading towards total 
conflict," the ministry said in a statement. 
    The Russian official said Moscow was contemplating a range 
of measures to quell the violence including raising the issue at 
the U.N. Security Council and undertaking joint action with the 
United States, the United Nations and the European Union. 
    Moscow and Washington are the co-sponsors of the stalled 
Middle East peace process. 
    Andrei Vdovin, Russia's special envoy in the region, was due 
to fly from Beirut, where he was attending the Arab League 
summit, to the Syrian capital Damascus, the official said. He 
could go to Israel to meet U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni afterwards. 
    Speaking after another Palestinian suicide bombing in a 
Jerusalem supermarket on Friday, a U.S. embassy official said 
Zinni planned to continue talks to secure a truce in the 18 
months of bloodshed. 
    Turkey, which has backed Palestinian aspirations to 
statehood while maintaining close diplomatic and military ties 
with Israel, said it was "deeply wounded" by the new violence. 
    "We call on both sides to take a rational path. Particularly 
Israel, in order to display rational, forward-looking and 
constructive stances, needs to review many concepts and views it 
holds," Turkish state minister and government spokesman, Sukru 
Sina Gurel was quoted as saying by state news agency Anatolian. 
 
 
29 MAR 2002 12:41:39
World reacts with alarm to Mideast violence

© 1999 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.

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Copyright (c) 1999 Exsys Ltd.
Version 1.3 Jul 19 2001

6 posted on 03/29/2002 3:50:22 AM PST by MeekOneGOP
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To: Catspaw

Hi, Mom!
No, no! Everything's just fine!

7 posted on 03/29/2002 3:53:00 AM PST by MeekOneGOP
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To: MeeknMing
She said the EU considered that Israel had a legitimate right to fight terrorism, but "military means are not going to solve the problem of terrorism".

So what does she think of the USof A's actions since 9/11?

9 posted on 03/29/2002 3:56:11 AM PST by Alas Babylon!
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To: catspaw
The European Union reaffirmed that Arafat remained a legitimate authority and its interlocutor for peace, while French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine criticised Israel's "attempt to stifle Arafat".

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana spoke by telephone to Arafat and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres to press for a ceasefire and urge both sides to seize the opportunity offered by an Arab summit's endorsement of Saudi peace proposals.

"Arafat is our interlocutor, as EU leaders said at the Barcelona summit (on March 16). He remains our interlocutor and the legitimate authority," Solana's spokeswoman Cristina Gallach told Reuters.

She said the EU considered that Israel had a legitimate right to fight terrorism, but "military means are not going to solve the problem of terrorism".

Oh, yeah. Definitely. Israel should use the Clayton Williams theory. Just lay back and enjoy it! ! </ sarcasm>
11 posted on 03/29/2002 3:58:52 AM PST by MeekOneGOP
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To: MeeknMing
We call on both sides to take a rational path.....Turkish state minister and government spokesman, Sukru Sina Gurel was quoted as saying

Reality Check: One side hasn't been rational and can be counted on to continue terrorism until dead.
13 posted on 03/29/2002 3:59:45 AM PST by pt17
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To: MeeknMing
Cristina Gallach . . said "military means are not going to solve the problem of terrorism".

This is clealy 180 degrees away from the US policy on this subject, vis-a-vis bin Laden and company. No surprises here.

14 posted on 03/29/2002 4:04:47 AM PST by Lucius Cornelius Sulla
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To: MeeknMing
The European Union reaffirmed that Arafat remained a legitimate authority and its interlocutor for peace...

With any luck, they will soon be able to carry out this interlocution only with a ouija board.

62 posted on 03/29/2002 5:19:07 AM PST by Southern Federalist
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To: MeeknMing
She said the EU considered that Israel had a legitimate right to fight terrorism, but "military means are not going to solve the problem of terrorism"...

"I understand how the Israelis might feel..."

Oh, yeah, she knows how Israelis feel. Sure. Well, I am sure the Israelis are greatly comforted by her empathy.

65 posted on 03/29/2002 5:26:33 AM PST by Starrgaizr
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To: MeeknMing
Israel's announced intention to isolate Arafat "is not the way that could help find a political solution to the current situation", Interfax reported.

You can only go to the well so many times before it dries up. The time is past for political solutions, they have been tried unsuccessfully for years, due to the unwillingness of one of the parties to compromise. Now that party is reaping what they have sown.

68 posted on 03/29/2002 5:35:16 AM PST by P8riot
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To: MeeknMing
Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said Israel's announced intention to isolate Arafat "is not the way that could help find a political solution to the current situation", Interfax reported.

Hey Igor, does the word "Chechnya" ring a bell? Pot, meet kettle. Either practice what you preach or shut the hell up.

French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine criticised Israel's "attempt to stifle Arafat".

Hubert, you will find American's have a long memory. We will remember your country's actions against us and our allies. We will remember you were "against us" in the war on terror, and that you refused to provide any information about the hijacker we caught and put on trial. Now why don't you just sit down, shut up, and go find someone to surrender to. You didn't seem to mind when tens of thousands of allied soldiers were dying on your soil, fighting for YOUR freedom.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana spoke by telephone to Arafat and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres to press for a ceasefire and urge both sides to seize the opportunity offered by an Arab summit's endorsement of Saudi peace proposals.

That's awfully generous of you Javier. A great peace plan just as long as someone else has to cough up the land to placate the Palestinian terrorists. Odd, we don't see you offering them up land for a "homeland". Especially given the track record of those Arab States at this summit of breaking their promises in the past. The same summit that recognized Hamas as a legitimate organization, even after it claimed credit for the Passover bombing. Javier, sit down, shut up, and find a nice history book of the 1930's about Europe and read up on what appeasing your enemy gets you.

"Arafat is our interlocutor, as EU leaders said at the Barcelona summit (on March 16). He remains our interlocutor and the legitimate authority," Solana's spokeswoman Cristina Gallach told Reuters.

Cristina, would this be the same EU who refuses to recognize known terrorist organizations within it's member states own borders, as identified by the US? The same EU who refuses to freeze the financial assets of these terrorist organizations, claiming they're not? The organizations who have claimed credit for assassinations and bombings of other nations representatives? The same EU who refused to participate in an anti-drug meeting (not a single EU nation showed) in an effort to curb the drug traffic in Europe that is being used to finance terrorist groups? Cristina, sit down, shut up, and contimplate the existence of the EU if the US and UK had taken the same stance with Hilter that you are proposing today.

I understand how the Israelis might feel faced with this terrifying pressure of attacks...but I don't think that massive repression and the attempt to stifle Arafat...can lead to a solution

As opposed to what? Surrendering to your enemy in record time? Letting other nations send their husbands and boys to die on your soil to fight for your freedom, because you were too spineless to do it yourself? Hey frenchy, sit down, shut up, and start drawing up plans to return the brave US soldiers buried on french soil back to the US. Your country is a disgrace to which they died for.

We strongly call on both the Israelis and Palestinians to exercise restraint to the greatest extent possible, immediately cease all violent activities and avoid heading towards total conflict," the ministry said in a statement.

This coming from a country with no freedom of speech, no freedom of religion, no freedom of the press, no freedom of expression, and with forced abortions upon women who have more then the amount dictated by the state. The world remembers watching you send your tanks and soldiers into Tiananmen square, killing the students, while denying it. Pot meet Kettle. Sit down, shut up, and pray Bush doesn't have big enough brass ones to pull your Most Favored Nation status the criminal in office before him granted you.

We call on both sides to take a rational path. Particularly Israel, in order to display rational, forward-looking and constructive stances, needs to review many concepts and views it holds," Turkish state minister and government spokesman, Sukru Sina Gurel was quoted as saying by state news agency Anatolian

Especially Israel? Sukru, remember that the next time you complain about the PKK and the EU's similar response to your complaints. Now sit down, shut up, and stop being a hypocrate, or expect your own argument to become worthless.

71 posted on 03/29/2002 5:36:37 AM PST by zandtar
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To: MeeknMing;yehuda
She said the EU considered that Israel had a legitimate right to fight terrorism, but "military means are not going to solve the problem of terrorism".

Oh, I get it the EU expects Israel to lay down and play dead. Only people with an ounce of sanity understand :

NO ARABS, NO TERROR..NO ARABS, NO ATTACKS

78 posted on 03/29/2002 5:56:53 AM PST by majordivit
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To: MeeknMing
Real headline: WORLD REACTS WITH ALARM TO POTENTIAL PUNISHMENT OF TERRORIST GROUPS

Yesterday's headline: WORLD REACTS APATHETICALLY OR NOT AT ALL TO PASSOVER MASSACRE OF ELDERLY JEWS AND CHILDREN

112 posted on 03/29/2002 7:22:06 AM PST by ellery
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