Posted on 25-9-2002

U.N. Security Council Approves Mideast Measure
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The United States decided not to veto a Security
Council resolution calling for Israel to withdraw from Palestinian cities,
clearing the way for its passage early Tuesday and handing a diplomatic
victory to the Palestinians. The resolution, which passed 14-0 with America
abstaining, was negotiated by the European Union and cobbled together with
language from competing U.S. and Arab proposals.

``The resolution that we've adopted this evening was flawed in our view in
that it failed to explicitly condemn the terrorist groups and those who
provide them with political cover, support and safe haven in perpetuating
conflict in the Middle East,'' Deputy U.S. ambassador James Cunningham
said. But the vote was a victory for the Palestinians and their Syrian
backers on the 15-member Security Council. Arafat spokesman Nabil Abu
Rdeineh called the vote ``a step in the right direction. ``I believe this
abstention from the United States is a clear criticism of Israel and its
actions on the ground and reveals their dissatisfaction with Israel and its
measures.''

Israel's U.N. ambassador, Yehuda Lancry, said the U.S. abstention should be
seen in light of Washington's desire to preserve good international
relations ahead of possible military action against Iraq. ``It's definitely
a disappointment,'' Lancry told Israel Radio. ``But with the complex
American situation regarding the Iraqi issue and its desire not to further
strain relations with its European partners, they preferred to take a
position in the middle.''

The Palestinians have failed several times to secure a resolution since
violence broke out in the Middle East in September 2000. The United States,
one of five permanent council members with veto power, blocked a similar
Palestinian resolution in December. The United States had threatened to do
so again but ultimately abstained on Tuesday when some of the language it
had sought -- condemning terrorist attacks and bringing the perpetrators to
justice -- was inserted into the final text. But the United States refused
to approve the resolution because it failed to mention Israel's security
concerns or specifically identify Hamas and Islamic Jihad as the two
militant groups responsible for two deadly suicide bombings in Israel last
week.

The original Palestinian draft blamed Israel for the upsurge in violence,
demanded its withdrawal from Palestinian cities and expressed concern for
the humanitarian plight of the Palestinian people. It did not address
Israel's security concerns or mention Palestinian suicide bombings. The
ongoing siege of Arafat's compound was prompted by two such attacks last
week. The approved resolution ``demands that Israel immediately cease
measures in and around Ramallah, including the destruction of Palestinian
civilian and security infrastructure.'' It further demands ``the withdrawal
of the Israeli occupying forces from Palestinian cities toward the return
to positions held prior to September 2000.'' The resolution also ``calls on
the Palestinian Authority to meet its expressed commitment to ensure that
those responsible for terrorist acts are brought to justice,'' and it
reiterates a demand for the cessation of all acts of violence.

When it became clear late Monday that the Palestinians were going to push
for a vote on their text, the United States submitted its own proposal to
condemn the suicide bombings, name Islamic Jihad and Hamas as the
responsible parties and call for the two militant groups to be treated as
terrorist organizations under the provisions of an anti-terrorism
resolution passed after the Sept. 11 attacks. Using unusually harsh
language to criticize Israel, the U.S. draft also expressed grave concern
for Israel's actions at Arafat's compound which ``aggravate the situation
and ... do not contribute to progress on comprehensive Palestinian civil
and security reforms.'' But the Palestinians and their Arab partners on the
Security Council rejected the American draft, setting off 10 hours of
negotiations as France, Britain, Norway and Ireland worked to find a
compromise.

Under pressure to act in the face of escalating death and destruction in
the Middle East, the Security Council opened its chamber Monday to debate
the crisis. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan asked both sides to reverse
course in exchange for a peaceful solution to the 54-year-old conflict.