July 14, 2006

ARAB AND INTERNATIONAL CONTACTS WITH SAUDI ARABIA TO DISCUSS WAYS OF CONTAINING THE DANGEROUS ESCALATION IN THE REGION. AN OFFICIAL SAUDI SOURCE: THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA HAS BELIEVED AND STILL BELIEVES IN THE RIGHT OF PEOPLE UNDER OCCUPATION TO FIGHT THIS OCCUPATION BUT A DIFFERENCE SHOULD BE DRAWN BETWEEN LEGITIMATE RESISTANCE AND MISCALCULATED ADVENTURES. THE LEBANESE GOVERNMENT AFFIRMS THAT IT DID NOT KNOW AND DID NOT ADOPT THE OPERATION WHICH LED TO THE CAPTURE OF THE TWO ISRAELI SOLDIERS. INTERNATIONAL WARNINGS FROM THE DANGERS OF DRAGGING THE REGION INTO A NEW WAR. AL-HARIRI CONDUCTS REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONTACTS TO STOP THE ESCALATION AND STRESSES THAT LEBANON SHOULD NOT BE USED BY "SOME FOR OTHER REASONS." The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz received a message from Syria's President Dr. Bashar Al-Assad. The message was delivered to King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al-Mualem during an audience in Jeddah. During the meeting, the Syrian Minister conveyed to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques the greetings of the Syrian President. In turn the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques sent his greetings to the President. The audience was attended by Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the foreign minister; Prince Miqren Ibn Abdul Aziz, Chief of General Intelligence; Prince Abdul Aziz Ibn abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Advisor to the king; Prince Abdul Aziz Ibn fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of State, Cabinet's Member and Chief of the Court of Cabinet's Presidency and Syrian Ambassador to the Kingdom Dr. Ahmed Nizamuddin. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz received a telephone call from Palestine's President Mahmoud Abbas. During the conversation, they discussed the development of situation in the Palestinian territories. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz received a telephone call from Nabih Berri the speaker of the Lebanese National Assembly. During the conversation, they discussed the development of situation in Lebanon and the Israeli aggression. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz received a telephone call from United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan. During the call, regional developments were discussed. Meanwhile an official source said that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has believed and still believes in the right of people under occupation to fight this occupation in all its forms and to reject its illegal measures aiming at erasing identity and changing realties on the ground. On this basis, the kingdom has always been standing with all its capabilities with the legitimate Palestinian resistance which aims at resisting military occupation and avoiding harming the innocent. On the same basis, the Kingdom stood firmly with the resistance in Lebanon until Israeli occupation of south Lebanon ended. Viewing with deep concern the bloody, painful events currently taking place in Palestine and Lebanon, the Kingdom would like to clearly announce that a difference should be drawn between legitimate resistance and miscalculated adventures carried out by elements inside the state and those behind them without consultation with the legitimate authority in their state and without consultation or coordination with Arab countries, thus creating a gravely dangerous situation exposing all Arab countries and their achievements to destruction with those countries having no say. The Kingdom views that it is time that these elements alone bear the full responsibility of these irresponsible acts and should alone shoulder the burden of ending the crisis they have created. The Kingdom will continually seek for security and stability in the region, exerting everything that it can do to protect the Arab nation from an Israeli oppression and transgression. On the other hand Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit made a swift visit to Damascus on Wednesday to deliver a message from Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to Syria's President Bashar Assad. President Hosni Mubarak had a phone call with Jordanian King Abdullah and Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad. The conversations tackled the latest Israeli military escalation in the Gaza Strip and south Lebanon. Israel launched on June 8 an open-ended offensive on Gaza after three Palestinian factions took prisoner an Israeli soldier. The Israeli army further shelled south Lebanon with heavy artillery after Hezbollah announced that it took two Israeli soldiers prisoner and killed eight more. President Mubarak also met Thursday in Alexandria with Saad Hariri, the leader of Lebanon's largest parliamentary bloc. Meantime Lebanese Prime Minister, Fuad Saniora, condemned Israel's attacks on vital infrastructural facilities and civilians in Lebanon and called on the UN Security Council to convene to solve the matter. Saniora said in a statement issued by the cabinet which held an emergency meeting that the government had not been informed of Hezbollah's attacks and thus would not assume the responsibility of what had happened on the international borders. He also expressed readiness to negotiate the matter through the United Nations. Geir Pedersen, the senior UN official in Lebanon, met Lebanon's Prime Minister and said Hezbollah had crossed the border into northern Israel. He said: "Hezbollah's action escalates the already tense situation and is an act of very dangerous proportions." The Lebanese Information Minister, Ghazi Aridi, said: "The government did not know, and does not bear responsibility nor embrace what happened." U.S. President George W. Bush blamed "terrorists who want to stop the advance of peace", while fellow U.N. Security Council members Russia and France condemned Israel's "disproportionate" use of force. "Hezbollah doesn't want there to be peace, the militant arm of Hamas doesn't want there to be peace, and those of us who do want peace will continue to work together to encourage peace," Bush said. Bush, speaking on a visit to Germany, also urged Syrian leader Bashar Al-Assad to help pressure Hezbollah to release the Israeli soldiers, adding: "Syria needs to be held to account." German Chancellor Angela Merkel, at a joint press conference with Bush, called for a "de-escalation", stressing the starting point had been the capture of the Israeli soldiers. "The attacks did not start from the Israeli side, but from Hezbollah's side," she said. The French President Jacques Chirac said that Israel's military offensive against Lebanon is "totally disproportionate" and asked whether destroying Lebanon was not the ultimate goal. "One could ask if today there is not a sort of will to destroy Lebanon, its equipment, its roads, its communication," Chirac said during an interview in the garden of the presidential Elysee Palace to mark Bastille Day, the French national holiday. However, Chirac said that he believes another country, likely Syria, was behind the actions of the militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah. "I have the feeling, if not the conviction, that Hamas and Hezbollah wouldn't have taken the initiatives alone," Chirac said. "There is, without any doubt, an action which must be discussed with Syria," the French president said. Chirac, saying he had spoken at length Thursday with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, said a U.N. mission to the Middle East was aimed, firstly, at freeing captured Israeli soldiers, then at obtaining a cease-fire. Also to be addressed was the means to put into place "military protection at the frontier with Israel and Lebanon," Chirac said, without elaborating. In Paris, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy described the Israeli army strikes on Lebanon as a "disproportionate act of war,"warning one consequence could be to plunge Lebanon "back into the worst years of war". France's defense minister also stressed that the situation could have repercussions at both the local level and for the world. "That goes much further since what happens in the Middle East serves as a pretext for terrorism too," Michele Alliot-Marie said on France Inter. The European Union criticized Israel for using what it called "disproportionate" force in its attacks on Lebanon following the cross border raid by Hezbollah, who captured two Israeli soldiers. "The European Union is greatly concerned about the disproportionate use of force by Israel in Lebanon in response to attacks by Hezbollah on Israel," according to a statement issued by Finland which holds the EU's rotating presidency. "The presidency deplores the loss of civilian lives and the destruction of civilian infrastructure. The imposition of an air and sea blockade on Lebanon cannot be justified." Moscow, a member of the diplomatic quartet on Middle East peace, also warned against the region slipping back into war. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted by the Interfax news agency as warning of a "very dramatic and tragic" outcome to the Middle East violence. Moscow condemned the abduction of Israeli soldiers by Palestinian militants in Gaza and Lebanon's Hizbullah. "All forms of terrorism are completely unacceptable," a foreign ministry statement said, calling for the "immediate and unconditional release" of the soldiers. "All sides involved in the current events should take rapid measures to stop the region sliding into open conflict." But Moscow also turned its criticism on Israeli action in Gaza. "One cannot justify the continued destruction by Israel of the civilian infrastructure in Lebanon and in Palestinian territory, involving the disproportionate use of force in which the civilian population suffers," the Russian foreign ministry said. British Prime Minister Tony Blair's spokesman, when asked specifically about Israel's military response to the abductions, said: "The British government hopes that actions will be proportionate." "We call for restraint on all sides," he added, "because in the end, this (the broader Middle East question) is going to have to be solved by negotiations." Also Thursday, Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema said Rome had "the impression that this is a disproportionate and dangerous reaction in view of the consequences it could have," ANSA reported. Greece called on Israel to avoid the use of "inordinate" and "pointless" violence in Lebanon, and on Hizbullah to release the two soldiers. The European Commission voiced shock and dismay Wednesday at the scale of violence unleashed between Israel and Lebanon, calling on both sides to show restraint. Emma Udwin, spokeswoman for EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner bemoaned Israel's "disproportionate" use of force in response to the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers. On the other hand the US has blocked an Arab-backed resolution that would have demanded that Israel halt its military offensive in the Gaza Strip, in the first United Nations Security Council veto in nearly two years. The draft, sponsored by Qatar on behalf of other Arab nations, accused Israel of a "disproportionate use of force" that endangered Palestinian civilians, and demanded Israel withdraw its troops from Gaza. The US was alone in voting against the resolution. Ten of the 15 security council nations voted in favour, while Britain, Denmark, Peru and Slovakia abstained. The US has periodically used its veto to block resolutions critical of Israel. The draft was reworked repeatedly to address concerns that it was too biased against Israel. Language was added calling for the release of an abducted soldier and urging the Palestinians to stop firing rockets at Israel. Nonetheless, US ambassador John Bolton said it was still unacceptable because it had been overtaken by events in the region - including the capture of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah militants on Wednesday - and was "unbalanced". "It placed demands on one side in the Middle East conflict but not the other," Bolton said. "This draft resolution would have exacerbated tensions in the region." The resolution called on Israel and the Palestinians to "take immediate steps to create the necessary condition for the resumption of negotiation and restarting the peace process". It urged all parties to help alleviate the "dire humanitarian situation" faced by Palestinians. The US sought a text that said the Israeli actions were in direct response to rocket attacks against Israel and Shalit's capture. Bolton said the US remained "gravely concerned" at the escalation of the conflict and believed the best way to calm the situation was for Hamas to release Shalit. The draft also demanded Israel release the Palestinian officials it had arrested. The Palestinian observer to the UN, Riyad Mansour, said he was disappointed with the council's "continued inability to act while innocent Palestinian civilians continue to be brutally killed by the Israeli occupying forces". Arab foreign ministers agreed to hold an emergency meeting in Cairo on Saturday to discuss Israeli attacks in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, the Arab League said. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is sending a three-person team to the Middle East to try to defuse the crisis. Meantime Kuwaiti Ambassador to Syria, Fahad Al-Awadhi, announced that the Kuwaiti Embassy has set up a 24-hour operations room to ease the entry of Kuwait citizens who are vacationing in Lebanon into Syria. Al-Awadhi told KUNA, Kuwait's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammad Al-Sabah has given orders to the embassy to offer all kinds of assistance to Kuwaitis in Syria till they reach Kuwait. Dakhil Al-Khurainij and Mishaal Al-Babtain, officials in charge of consular affairs, are currently on the Syrian-Lebanese border to assist Kuwaitis on the border. The Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, had given his orders to increase the number of flights to Syria to ensure that all Kuwaitis leave safely. These measures are being taken as Israel increases its military operations in Lebanon since yesterday. Targets have included Beirut's airport, bridges, and power plants. On the other hand The Secretary General of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Abdul Rahman Al-Atiyyah strongly condemned continuing Israeli aggression on Lebanon which led to killing innocent civilians and destroying and damaging infrastructures. In a statement, he called on the world community particularly the UN Security Council to take the required measures to stop Israeli aggression and to pressurize the Israeli government to commit to the ways of a peaceful settlement of outstanding problems in accordance with the international legitimacy. Also the Head of the Future bloc in Parliament MP Saad Hariri urged Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to help stop Israel's military offensive against Lebanon, in separate urgent meetings aimed at brokering a cease-fire. He also said the Lebanese are a peaceful people and do not want their country used by other states for 'political reasons.' After a meeting in the Egyptian coastal city of Alexandria, before heading for similar discussions in Jordan and Saudi Arabia, MP Hariri called for an immediate cease-fire to spare civilian lives and to stop Israel's ongoing campaign of destroying Lebanese infrastructure. He warned that Israel's threats against Lebanon and the region are dangerous, and told reporters that he will not spare any efforts to help end the offensive. MP Hariri has been holding intensive diplomatic contacts with Arab and European leaders to broker an end to the Israeli military campaign. Asked about the repercussions of the fighting on Lebanese internal dialogue, after "Hezbollah placed Lebanon in a crisis," head of the Future bloc refused to pin the blame on any party, and said attention is now focused on finding a cease-fire. He also pointed out that President Mubarak informed him that Arab foreign ministers will soon hold a special meeting on Lebanon. Later, MP Hariri headed to Aqaba, where he met Jordan's King Abdullah II. The meeting was partly attended by top political, military and intelligence officials in the Kingdom. Head of the Future bloc told reporters that the Jordanian King promised him to exert all his efforts to help reach a cease-fire. MP Hariri described Israel's offensive against barbaric and made clear that the Lebanese government had declared that it was not aware of the operation in South Lebanon, which triggered the fighting. He also denounced Israel's ongoing blockade against the country as illegal. Also in Aqaba, before travelling to Jeddah for talks with senior officials, MP Hariri described the situation in Lebanon as very complicated and urged solidarity among the Lebanese. He stressed that the Lebanese seek peace and wanted their land liberated. Head of the Future bloc said Lebanon should not be used by "some for other reasons." Meanwhile, head of the Future bloc telephoned French President Jacques Chirac, the second such call since the onslaught began, to discuss the situation in Lebanon. He also telephoned the Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Abdallah bin Zayed.