Ain-Al-Yaqeen - August 4, 2006

		August 4, 2006

THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES, THE JORDANANIAN MONARCH AND PRESIDENT ABBAS REVIEW THE TRAGIC DEVELOPMENTS IN LEBANON AND THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES.
SAUDI ARABIA CONDEMNS THE ISRAELI BARBARIC ATTACK ON QANA.
A SAUDI OFFICIAL SOURCE: ISRAEL WOULD NOT HAVE VIOLATED LEBANON IN THIS WAY UNLESS IT WAS PROVIDED WITH A HUGE MILITARY MACHINE AND WITH THE INTERNATIONAL INCAPABILITY TO TAKE A DECISION ON A CEASE-FIRE.
REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONDEMNATION OF THE QANA MASSACRE.
THE MOROCCAN KING EXPRESSES HIS WORRIES ABOUT THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES.

The raid on the southern village of Qana was the bloodiest single attack during Israel's 19-day-old war on Lebanon which claimed over 600 civilian lives so far.

Nearly ten years after the first Israeli massacre at Qana which killed 120 civilians who had taken shelter at a UN compound, Israeli air strikes at a civilian shelter in the town killed at least 60 Lebanese civilians, including 37 children. More bodies are buried under the rubble and the rescuers lack the equipment to dig up more bodies or save buried survivors.

Five civilians, including two children, were killed in another Israeli air strike on a house in the southern border village of Yaroun, security sources said.

Police, who gave the initial provisional death toll of 56, said the Israelis had bombed Qana at 1:30 a.m. destroying a three-storey building where about at least 63 displaced people were sheltering in the basement. Most were killed in their sleep.

Distraught people in Qana screamed in grief and anger amid wrecked buildings as others scrabbled at slabs of concrete with their hands to try to reach people buried in the debris.

A woman in a red-patterned dress lay crumpled and lifeless in the broken masonry. A leg poked out from the shattered concrete nearby. A medic carried a dead child in his arms from rubble. Other children lay dead in the street.

Confirming a major new incursion into Lebanon, the Israeli military said tanks and troops had rolled across the border at Metula to try to find and destroy Hezbollah rocket launchers.

Dozens of young people took to the streets of Beirut to protest against the air strike, although many expressed disappointment that more people were not motivated to turn out.

"Ten years ago it took something even bigger than this to change the situation," was the pessimistic assessment of Faisal, a young university graduate, with a banner reading "Israel you are doomed" pinned to his chest.

The attack on Qana demolished a four-story residential building used as a shelter by Lebanese refugees. The dead included 37 children, according to Lebanese internal security officials.

Tens of thousands of civilians remain in villages south of the Litani River, despite IDF warnings to leave. Some have chosen to stay, but the vast majority is unable to flee due to destroyed roads, a lack of gasoline, high taxi fares, sick relatives, or ongoing Israeli attacks. The sick and poor are those who mostly remain behind.

The attack took place when Israeli warplanes fired missiles at the village of Qana. Among the homes struck was a three-story building in which 63 members of two extended families, the Shalhoub and Hashim families, had sought shelter. The civilians had taken refuge there because it was one of the larger buildings in the area and had a reinforced basement, according to the deputy mayor of the town, Dr. Issam Matuni.

According to the Lebanese civil defence and the Lebanese Red Cross, killed at least 60 Lebanese civilians, including 37 children, were crushed to death when the building collapsed. Rescue teams were unable to reach the village until 9:00 a.m. because of ongoing heavy IDF bombardment in the area. None of the bodies recovered so far have been militants, and rescue workers say they have found no weapons in the building that was struck.

Israel suspended air strikes on southern Lebanon for 48 hours, after an air strike on Qana. But Israeli Justice Minister Haim Ramon said the 48-hour ceasefire did not mean the Jewish state was ending its war against Hezbollah, after Israeli warplanes launched raids on eastern Lebanon, hours after the ceasefire was declared.

"The suspension of our aerial activities does not signify in any way the end to the war. On the contrary, this decision will allow us to win this war and lessen international pressure," Mr Ramon told army radio.

The temporary halt was announced after the Israeli air strike on the southern village of Qana killed 60 people, more than half of them children, triggering outrage across the globe.

"To stop the war at this stage would mean a victory for Hezbollah and for international terrorism, manipulated by Iran and Syria," said Mr Ramon, who is considered close to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and is a member of the nation's security cabinet.

An enraged Lebanon was plunged into mourning for the 60 victims of an Israeli bombardment on the southern village of Qana, as the press lashed out at the "butchery" of the raid.

Banks and public offices were closed and flags flew at half mast on a national day of mourning in memory of those killed in Sunday's attack, 30 of them children, the biggest single loss of life since Israel unleashed its firepower on Lebanon almost three weeks ago.

"The Lebanese government announces a day of official mourning on Monday to honour the deaths in Qana and all other victims of Israeli bombardments," Information Minister Ghazi Aridi said.

Large pictures of dead children being retrieved from under the rubble in Qana were splashed across Lebanese newspapers, some framed in black in a sign of mourning.

Furious Lebanese also lashed out at US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice whom they accused of turning a blind eye to Israeli attacks, hanging up a huge banner of her face from a bridge in central Beirut.

The banner, which showed the top US diplomat with blood dripping from her lips, sarcastically "thanked" her for the second deadly Israeli onslaught on Qana in 10 years, which it described as an "unsmart bomb".

An official source said that the massacre committed by Israel in Qana town, east of Tyre, Lebanon is an extension to massacres being perpetrated by Israel in an all-out war on Lebanon as a whole.

Israel's war has destroyed all pillars of Lebanon, its economy and fundamentals of the Lebanese people's lives, the source stated and added that most of the martyrs killed in Qana are mostly from children and women resorted to shelters from an Israeli cruelty.

The Kingdom condemns this brutal act which has no respect for a law, sanctity or covenant.

Israel would not have violated Lebanon in this way without a huge military machine provided with, without an international incapability to take a decision on a cease fire and without moral, political and material support provided for Israel, the source added.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia calls for an immediate cease fire and response to the demands of the Lebanese government and warns of the consequences of the Israeli aggression that expands the circle of violence and makes matters out of control.

King Abdullah II Bin Al Hussein of Jordan arrived in Jeddah on a visit to the kingdom.

At King Abdul Aziz International Airport, he was received by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz; Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General; Prince Miteb Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Interior; and a Number of Senior Officials. King Abdullah II was accompanied by an official delegation.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz and Jordan's King Abdullah II Bin Al-Hussein held a session of talks.

At the outset of the session, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques welcomed the Jordanian king and the accompanying delegation. In turn, the Jordanian king expressed his thanks to and appreciation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for the warm welcome and generous hospitality.

They discussed the consequences of events in Lebanon and the Palestinian occupied territories; the sufferings of the two brotherly peoples as a result of siege, killing and destruction of their installations and properties by the Israeli military machine; and the necessity of halting the Israeli aggression against the two brotherly countries.

They also reviewed overall situations at Arab, Islamic and international arenas, the stances of the two countries towards them, aspects of cooperation between the two countries and ways of their enhancement in all fields.

The talks were attended by Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General; Prince Miteb Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Interior; Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister; Prince Abdul Ilah Ibn Abdul Aziz; Prince Miqren Ibn Abdul Aziz, Chief of General Intelligence; Prince Bandar Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Secretary General of the National Security Council.

The talks were also attended by the delegation accompanying the Jordanian king.

The Secretary General of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Abdul Rahman bin Hamad Al-Atiyyah received a telephone call from Lebanese Premier Fuad Al-Siniora.

During the call, they discussed the latest developments at the Lebanese arena particularly the criminal and brutal act committed by Israeli occupation forces against innocent civilians in Qana.

Al-Atiyyah also condemned in a statement the brutal massacre committed by Israel in Qana, calling for an immediate cease fire and an investigation into Israeli massacres and destruction being inflicted on Lebanon and its people.

Many Arab and European leaders condemned the new Qana massacre and called for an immediate cease-fire. Saniora called U.N. chief Kofi Annan to demand an emergency Security Council meeting.

But Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told his cabinet the assault in Lebanon would go on. "We will not blink in front of Hezbollah and we will not stop the offensive despite the difficult circumstances."

Saniora demanded an immediate, unconditional cease-fire and an international investigation into Israeli massacres.

As a wave of anger spread across Lebanon and the Arab world, several thousand protesters chanted "Death to Israel, Death to America" outside the United Nations headquarters in downtown Beirut and some smashed their way into the building.

Lebanon told U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice she was unwelcome in Beirut before an immediate cease-fire. Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Saniora said he would not hold any negotiations before a cease-fire.

Rice, who was in Israel and had planned to go to Beirut later in the day, said she was saddened by the Qana air raid and telephoned Saniora to offer her condolences, but did not change her conditions for an eventual cease-fire.

Qana was the site of an Israeli bombing of a UN base on April 18, 1996 that killed 105 people who had taken refuge there during Israel's 'Grapes of Wrath' offensive - also aimed at wiping out Hezbollah.

Lebanon's press condemned the bombing as "butchery" but acknowledged the tragedy was a "turning point" that could increase the chances of a solution to a conflict that has killed more than 500 people, left much of the country's infrastructure in tatters and sent hundreds of thousands fleeing their homes.

The Israeli air strike on the Lebanese village of Qana that killed 60 people, including 37 children, drew a barrage of fierce condemnation from around the world. Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa issued a stern statement to "strongly condemn Israel's ongoing barbaric attacks on Lebanon, the latest of which is the attack on the village of Qana."

Moussa called for "an international investigation into this massacre and other Israeli war crimes committed in Lebanon."

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak called the attack "irresponsible" and reiterated his call for an immediate cease-fire.

"Egypt is highly disturbed and condemns the irresponsible Israeli attack on the Lebanese village of Qana which led to the loss of innocent victims, most of whom were women and children," he said.

Egypt summoned Israel's ambassador to express its outrage, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu al-Gheit, following his return from a brief trip to Damascus, summoned the Israeli ambassador to Cairo, Shalom Cohen, to inform him of Egypt's severe anger and complete condemnation of the Israeli strike on civilians in Lebanon," the statement said.

Jordan also condemned the raid, Israel's deadliest since it launched its offensive in Lebanon following the capture of two soldiers on July 12.

"This criminal aggression is a flagrant violation of international laws," said Jordan's King Abdullah II in a statement. "This is a horrible crime committed by the Israeli forces."

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also condemned the attack and asked the United Nations to oversee an immediate cease-fire, top Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told AFP.

"Abu Mazen [Abbas] has called the Lebanese president and prime minister and offered his deepest condolences [for] the victims of the crime that was committed by Israel ... which he condemned in the strongest possible terms," he said.

The United Arab Emirates condemned the "ugly massacre."

"This crime ... provides new proof of Israel's systematic policy of using its destructive weapons to kill in an indiscriminate way and without consideration for international laws and conventions that protect civilians," said Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan.

Morocco has "strongly" condemned as "odious" the Israeli attacks on Qana, and urged the international community to put an end to the war against Lebanon, a statement of the Foreign Affairs Ministry said.

Morocco also reiterated its call for an "immediate ceasefire and exhorted the international community, in particular influential countries and NGOs to put an end to the war against Lebanon and to opt for a global solution through dialogue and negotiation."

In a speech marking the 7th anniversary of his enthronement, king Mohammed VI had "strongly condemned the Israeli aggression against our sister nation Lebanon, Israel's disproportionate use of military force, and the destruction of Lebanon's vital infrastructure."

In view of the tragic events in the Middle East and in token of solidarity with the Lebanese and Palestinian peoples, the king decided to limit all forms of joys and festivities usually marking the Throne Day, to official ceremonies.

Algeria's Foreign Ministry issued a statement calling the attack on Qana "a criminal act that nothing could justify."

It called for an "awakening of conscience and a collective burst of effort by the international community toward an immediate and unconditional cease-fire."

President Bashar al-Assad reiterated Syria's complete solidarity with the brotherly Lebanon and its full readiness to offer what ever may contribute in backing him to face the Israeli brutal aggression.

This assertion came when President Bashar al-Assad made a telephone call with Lebanese counterpart Emile Lahoud.

President al-Assad expressed, in the name of the Syrian people and his own name, his shock and pain over the brutal massacre committed by Israel targeting innocent defenceless civilians in Qana. "This massacre reflects again the brutality of the usurper entity and state terrorism that it practices before the world's eyes and in its hearing .

For his part the Lebanese President thanked President al-Assad for his true feeling, expressing Lebanon 's appreciation of the efforts that Syria has been exerting to receive tens of thousands of Lebanese people.

Another telephone call made between Vice President Farouk al-Shara and Lebanese Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, in which al-Shara expressed Syria's people and government's stand by Lebanon in its heroic steadfastness and honourable stance in facing this brutal aggression and its savage machine .

For his part Prime Minister Mohammad Naji Ottri also made a telephone call with his Lebanese counterpart Fouad al- Saniora expressing strong condemnation over the horrific crimes that Israel is committing in Lebanon .

Ottri renewed Syria 's complete support to the brotherly Lebanon and her readiness to offer all required assistant that Lebanon needs.

The Prime Minister reviewed in this regard the steps that Syria is taking to host the brotherly Lebanese in Syria and offer them all needs to ease their suffering ,pointing out at forming official and popular committees for this purpose.

British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett called the Israeli strike "quite appalling" and a "tragedy" for the cease-fire negotiations.

"We have repeatedly urged Israel to act proportionately," she added, when asked if Britain saw the Qana attack or the bombing campaign as a "disproportionate" response.

EU Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner called for an "immediate cessation of violence."

"Israel's attack on the city of Qana means an escalation of violence that is unjustifiable at a time when the international community is jointly working to find a solution to the conflict," she said in a statement. "The killings of innocent people, particularly of children, must stop now."

The United States reiterated its support for Israel but urged the Jewish state to use restraint.

White House spokesman Blaine Rethmeier, asked by AFP for a response to the Israeli attack, said there was no change in position.

The United States "continues to urge Israel to use restraint," Rethmeier said in a telephone interview.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's representative, Geir Pedersen, said he was "deeply shocked and saddened by the killing of tens of Lebanese civilians, including many children in Qana, South Lebanon, and calls for immediate cease-fire and investigation," a statement said.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said he was dismayed by a deadly Israeli raid on the Southern Lebanese village, saying Sunday that "nothing can justify" the deaths of innocent civilians.

Pope Benedict XVI also appealed for an immediate end to the hostilities.

"In the name of God, I appeal to all those responsible for this spiral of violence, so that they immediately put down their arms on all sides," he told faithful at his summer residence on the outskirts of Rome. Pausing, slightly he stressed the word "immediately."

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steimneier expressed horror at the death of dozens of people in the Israeli strike, and urged both sides not to block diplomatic efforts.

Steimneier said he had repeatedly underlined to Israel "that every use of military force, also in the framework of self-defense, must be proportionate - in particular, victims among the civilian population absolutely must be avoided."

Swedish Foreign Minister and former UN General Assembly president Jan Eliasson condemned the "madness."

"There is strong reason to condemn the attack against the housing complex in Qana leading to the deaths of civilians including children," he told AFP. "It is time to end this madness. The UN Security Council must accept its responsibility and immediately adopt a resolution to bring an end to hostilities."

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez accused Israel of "terrorism and pure fascism," while also blaming the US for endangering humanity.

Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Saniora indicated that the State of Israel practised "State terrorism" following its bombardment of Qana town in Southern Lebanon. The Israeli army committed a real massacre in Qana, killing no less than 55 people among the Lebanese civilians. "The Israelis really commit State terrorism," Saniora said describing the bombardment of Qana town as a "crime against humanity." Recalling that the raid killed more than 60 people including a baby "aged only one day," Saniora added that "more than 700 people were killed in Lebanon and more than 3000 wounded" since the beginning of Israeli operation against Lebanon.

On another development the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud received at the royal court at Al Salam Palace in Jeddah President of the Palestinian National Authority Mahmoud Abbas.

The official discussion session was chaired by King Abdullah and President Mahmoud Abbas.

At the beginning of the session, the King welcomed President Abbas.

On his part, Abbas thanked the king for the warm welcome and generous hospitality.

President Abbas hailed the Saudi position on the Palestinian cause and its support for the Palestinian people's right to establish an independent state on their land with Al-Quds as its capital.

Then, they discussed the current events in the Palestinian occupied land, the suffering of the Palestinian people as a result of siege, killing, destruction of their installations and properties by Israeli military machine, the necessity of halting Palestinian bloodletting and enabling the Palestinian people of their legitimate rights. Also, they reviewed ways of cooperation between the two brotherly countries.

The talks were 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 Dr. Bandar Ibn Salman Ibn Mohammed Al Saud, advisor to the king; and Prince Abdul Aziz Ibn Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz , minister of state, cabinet's member and chief of the court of cabinet's presidency and minister of culture and information Iyad Ibn Amin Madani.

The President of the Palestinian National Authority Mahmoud Abbas received Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the foreign minister.

During the meeting, they discussed the development of the crisis in the middle east, its consequences and efforts for solving it.

The meeting was attended by minister of culture and information Iyad Ibn Amin Madani and the delegation accompanying President Abbas.

From his part Nabil Abu Rdeina the official spokesman said both Saudi and Palestinian views were similar on the necessity of an immediate cease-fire. He pointed out that efforts are being exerted to spare Gaza more attacks and exchange prisoners.

President Mahmoud Abbas also held talks in Alexandria with the Egyptian President Husni Mubarak.

The President briefed his Egyptian counterpart on the latest developments in the Palestinian territories in the light of the Israeli military escalation, and the economic hardships due to the Israeli siege and the suspension of the international aid.

The two Presidents exchanged point of views about several issues including the situation in Lebanon. They discussed the ways of strengthening bilateral relations.