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EU, Russia urge Israel not to mistake anti-terrorism fight with destruction of Palestinian leadership
Associated Press, Apr 2, 2002


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020402/ap_wo_en_ge/eu_russia_middle_east_1

EU, Russia urge Israel not to mistake anti-terrorism fight with destruction of Palestinian leadership

Tue Apr 2, 9:27 AM ET
By MAR ROMAN, Associated Press Writer

MADRID, Spain - The European Union (news - web sites) and Russia on Tuesday warned Israel not to mistake its fight against terrorism with the destruction of the Palestinian leadership of Yasser Arafat (news - web sites).
     Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Pique said the European Union is considering holding an extraordinary foreign ministers meeting on the Middle East crisis, but gave no further details.
    "There is a need to distinguish between fight against terrorism and the destruction of the political structures of the Palestinian Authority (news - web sites)," Pique told a press conference in comments echoed by Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov.
    Pique and Ivanov called on Israel and the Palestinians to immediately implement the latest U.N Security Council resolution on the crisis.
    "There must be compliance with the resolution of the Security Council," Ivanov said. "There is a need to act, to resolve a problem not to create others that aggravate the situation," he said.
    Security Council resolution 1402, passed Saturday, calls for a cease-fire and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Palestinian towns, including Ramallah where Israeli forces have taken control of the headquarters of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
    Pique, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, held talks with Ivanov and the EU's security affairs chief, Javier Solana. The meeting was planned to prepare for a Russian-EU summit on May 28 in Moscow.
    "There is a concern that there is a desire to bury Oslo," Solana said, referring to the 1993 accords negotiated in the Norwegian capital between Israelis and Palestinians.
    He said those accords should end with "two separate states: Israel and Palestine, both with secure borders."
    "The Oslo agreements must be respected and Israel must ensure the continuity of the Palestinian Authority," Pique said. Otherwise, he said, it could have "irreversible" consequences for the recuperation of the peace process.
    Earlier, Solana told Spain's Cadena SER radio that it wouldn't be a bad idea for both Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) to step down and let others take over leadership.
    "Neither is a saint and sometimes I'm inclined to think that perhaps a new generation of persons in Israel and Palestine could in the 21st century come with a solution to the conflict."
    "These two people are both more than 75 years old and have lived this conflict for a very long time — too long, if you ask me. It wouldn't be bad if they step down in favor of other people."
    Russia and EU urged Israel to grant Arafat freedom of movement. The Palestinian leader remained trapped inside his West Bank compound Tuesday as gunbattles raged outside between his Palestinian guards and Israeli troops.
    Pique said he didn't rule out sanctions against Israel if its army doesn't withdraw from the West Bank and give Arafat freedom of movement.

(mr/js)
Copyright © 2002 The Associated Press



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