Arab ministers clash over Hezbollah's actions http://archive.gulfnews.com/region/Egypt/10053307.html
07/16/2006 12:37 AM | AP Cairo: Foreign ministers of 18 Arab countries held an emergency summit in Cairo yesterday over Israel's expanding assault on Lebanon. However, squabbles over the legitimacy of Hezbollah's attacks on Israel - including the capture of two Israeli soldiers that sparked the four-day battle, appeared likely to keep participants from reaching a consensus, delegates said. The Saudi foreign minister appeared to be leading a camp of ministers criticising the fighter group's actions, calling them "unexpected, inappropriate and irresponsible acts." "These acts will pull the whole region back to years ago, and we cannot simply accept them," Saudi Al Faisal told his counterparts. Supporting his stance were representatives of Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Iraq, the Palestinian Authority, the UAE and Bahrain, delegates said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks. Rift Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mua'alem lashed back at Al Faisal, asking: "How can we come here to discuss the burning situation in Lebanon while others are making statements criticising the resistance?" Mua'alem emerged as the leader of another camp of ministers defending Hezbollah as carrying out "legitimate acts in line with international resolutions." The rift appeared likely to prevent participants from issuing a unanimous resolution over Israel's bloody incursion into Lebanon - the worst Israeli attack on its neighbour in 24 years. Earlier, Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh presented his fellow Arab League members with a draft resolution condemning Israel's military offensive and supporting Lebanon's "right to resist occupation by all legitimate means." The draft, a copy of which was obtained by AP also demanded the release of Lebanese captives and detainees in Israeli prisons, and supported Lebanon's right to "liberate them by all legitimate means." Salloukh, a Shiite close to the mainstream Amal faction as well as the militant Hezbollah, said Arab governments were not doing enough to protest Israel's assault on Lebanon. "What our Arab brothers have called "involvement' has only resulted in frustration and bitterness among Arab people," Salloukh told participants at the meeting. "If [Arab] governments are not serious and determined ... our people will sooner or later take things into their own hands," he said. Freedom Arab League secretary-general Amr Moussa issued a statement on Friday calling on Israel to halt its military operations in Lebanon, and asking the UN Security Council to intervene. He met late Friday with United Nations officials in Cairo, including UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's special envoy, Terje Roed-Larsen. In Kuwait, Sa'ad Hariri, head of the anti-Syrian bloc in Lebanon's parliament, told reporters that his country "should not become a playground" for Mideast fighting. "Israel has to understand that Lebanon is not a terrorist state but a state fighting for freedom, and the Lebanese have to unite and stay united," Hariri said. Post message: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe : [EMAIL PROTECTED] List owner : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
