-Caveat Lector- >From JPost
}}}>Begin Annan blasts Israel's 'illegal occupation' By Melissa Radler March, 13 2002 UNITED NATIONS (March 13) - UN Secretary General Kofi Annan yesterday blasted Israel's "illegal occupation" of the West Bank and Gaza and warned that continued IDF military action against the Palestinians is breeding more terrorism. In an address to the UN Security Council followed by closed consultations on "the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question," Annan pleaded with both sides to halt the violence that he said has claimed more than 1,200 Palestinian and 350 Israeli lives, including 230 in the past 10 days. He described the current level of violence in the Middle East as "horrifying" and called on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat to "lead your peoples away from disaster." Annan took Israel to task for its "increasing use of heavy weaponry... in civilian areas," including combat helicopters, tanks, and F-16s, and he demanded that Israel "stop the bombing of civilian areas, the assassinations, the unnecessary use of lethal force, the demolitions, and the daily humiliation of ordinary Palestinians." "Such actions gravely erode Israel's standing in the international community and further fuel the fires of hatred, despair, and extremism among Palestinians," he said. He insisted that Israel "end the illegal occupation," thus marking the first time he has termed Israel's presence in the West Bank and Gaza as illegal, said Annan's spokesman, Fred Eckhard, after the meeting. The Palestinians, said Annan, "have played their full part in escalating the cycle of violence," and he said he was "particularly disturbed by suicide attacks, which deliberately target civilians, spreading fear and anxiety throughout the general population." The continuation of such attacks is "making Israelis believe that it is their existence as a state, and not the occupation, that is being opposed," he said. "You must stop all acts of terror and all suicide bombings," said Annan, a phrase that one Israeli official said could be interpreted to mean that not all suicide bombings are necessarily acts of terrorism. Diplomatic sources in Jerusalem responded to Annan's speech with four questions: "Why is his voice not heard when children and babies are murdered by Palestinian brutality; does he know that between 1948 and 1967 when there was no occupation, there already was Palestinian terror; does he know that when former prime minister Ehud Barak offered to end the occupation, the Palestinians responded with a terror campaign; does he think that with this vicious attack on Israel, he can ever be an honest broker?" Citing the Mitchell and Tenet proposals as the "basis for negotiations," Annan praised Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah's peace initiative, the terms of which have not yet been made public, as a "clear and compelling vision for peace in the Middle East." He also lauded US envoy Anthony Zinni's upcoming visit to the region. When asked how the PA plans to rein in suicide bombers, Palestinian representative to the UN Nasser Kidwa said after the meeting that the PA is not bound to stop such attacks until Israel halts all military action against the Palestinians. "While the Israeli aggression is going on, it's a hopeless case and [we] cannot, we should not take any actions against any Palestinians under such circumstances," he said. Kidwa also announced that the 22-member Arab League plans to draw up a new draft resolution, to be introduced into the Security Council "as soon as possible." He said that a provision calling for international monitors to be sent to the region in a February 20 Arab League resolution would most likely be dropped. The resolution was never formally introduced into the council due to concern that the US would veto it. Israeli Ambassador to the UN Yehuda Lancry warned that a Security Council resolution that criticizes Israel and "does not speak of Palestinian terror... will only lead to a biased position." Such a position will not help the situation on the ground, he said. (Gil Hoffman contributed to this report.) 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