----- Original Message -----
From: palmer
Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2002 3:04 AM
Subject: [AL-AWDA-News] Sharon preaches war as Cheney arrives for talks
Sharon preaches war as Cheney arrives for talks
By Phil Reeves in Jerusalem
19 March 2002 The Independent
By Phil Reeves in Jerusalem
19 March 2002 The Independent
Stephen Pollard: If you want proof that terrorism works, look
at the plight of Israel The Vice-President of the United States,
Dick Cheney, arrived in Jerusalem yesterday to find that Ariel
Sharon is pressing on relentlessly with his drive to equate
Israel's latest military offensive against Palestinians in the
occupied territories with the American-led "war on terror".
The Israeli Prime Minister told his guest: "Terrorism is
terrorism is terrorism, anywhere in the world." Mr Cheney
had arrived to lend weight to American efforts to broker a
truce after the conflict claimed more than 150 lives in a
fortnight.
"There is no 'good terrorism' or 'bad terrorism'," Mr Sharon
told Mr Cheney shortly after he touched down for a one-day
visit. It is his 10th stop on an 11- nation Middle East tour to
rally support for Washington's next moves in its campaign,
especially against Iraq.
"Real or imagined injustice or deprivation cannot serve as an
excuse for the murder of innocent civilians," Mr Sharon said.
"There is no neutrality in this struggle." He said he was ready
to make peace but there could be "no compromise" on the
security of Israeli civilians.
But, troops and tanks started to pull out of the West Bank
town of Bethlehem, neighbouring Beit Jalla and El-Khader
early today as the two sides edged towards a truce.
Mr Sharon's remarks contrasted strikingly with the contents of a
letter written to him last week by Kofi Annan, the United Nations
secretary general, which was leaked yesterday.Israel's conduct
involving the largest military offensive since its 1982 invasion of
Lebanon, was cast in a different light.
Mr Annan likened Israel's tactics to "an all-out conventional
war" and condemned the Israeli army for killing civilians and
attacking medical officials. "Israel is fully entitled to defend
itself against terror," Mr Annan wrote. "But this right does not
discharge it of its obligation to respect the fundamental principles
and rules of international law."
In unusually blunt language, he stated: "Judging from the
means and methods employed by the Israel Defence Force
F-16 fighter-bombers, helicopter and naval gunships, missiles
and bombs of heavy tonnage the fighting has come to resemble
all-out conventional warfare."
Specifically, Mr Annan pointed to the killing and injuring of
civilians and the firing at hospitals and schools; in one case the
fatal shooting of a UN guard who was escorting a wounded man
to a hospital. All these actions violated the principle of protection
of civilians, he said.
Mr Annan, who is on record as having expressed sympathy before
for Israel over its isolation at the UN, said hundreds of innocent
civilians had been killed and many buildings and homes destroyed.
Tanks went into densely populated refugee camps and heavy
explosives were dropped close to Palestinian schools, including one
run by the United Nations for blind Palestinian children.
He called "unfounded and unsubstantiated" statements by Israeli
spokesmen that ambulances might have been used to smuggle
Palestinian militants and weapons. "These allegations can only
result in further danger to medical workers and further impede their
vital mission."
Government sources in Israel said an army pullout from the areas
seized in a two-week offensive had been agreed during meetings
between security officials from both sides hosted by the US envoy
General Anthony Zinni. But the position remained precarious, amid
further signs that Palestinian militants would continue to fight. The
Israeli army said Palestinians fired two Kassam II rockets from Gaza
into Israel last night. No one was injured.
An army spokesman said troops shot dead an armed Palestinian
near a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip after he ignored calls
to stop. Military sources said there were suspicions that the
Palestinian was wearing an explosives belt.
Mr Cheney was met by General Zinni, who arrived last week to usher
both sides towards a truce, starting with a security co-operation plan
set out last year by George Tenet, director of the CIA. Even before the
Vice-President touched down, there were signs that his mission was
increasing the impression, universally held among Arabs, that the US
is invariably biased towards Israel.
There were rumblings of discontent from Palestinian officials at the
apparent absence of a meeting between Yasser Arafat and Mr
Cheney. Yasser Abed Rabbo, the information minister, said no
Palestinian officials would agree to meet Mr Cheney until he met Mr
Arafat.
• The Saudis would present their peace plan to next week's Arab
summit even if Israel does not let Mr Arafat attend, the Egyptian
Foreign Minister, Ahmed Maher, said yesterday.
Emergency Rafah Relief Fund:
http://al-awda.org/rafah_fund.htm
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