Thursday, July 11, 2002

U.S. Is Critical of Israel's Closing of Moderate Palestinian's Office
The White House today criticized Israel for shutting down the East Jerusalem office of Sari Nusseibeh, a moderate Palestinian leader who has urged his compatriots to halt suicide missions against Israelis.

Ari Fleischer, the White House spokesman, said the action was "troubling."

"This action does not contribute to the fight against terror, does not promote reform of Palestinian institutions or advance the other goals outlined by the president in his June 24, 2002 speech," he added.

Dr. Nusseibeh told The Associated Press today that he had spent the last several months working on a Middle East peace proposal with Ami Ayalon, the former head of Israel's Shin Bet security service, and had been in Greece this week for meetings.

Two shooting deaths were reported today, in Nablus on the West Bank and in Rafah, near Israel's border with Egypt.

Palestinian gunmen fired on Israeli troops searching for smuggling tunnels today along the border, killing and Israeli officer, Army Lt. Haggai Lev, The A.P. reported. It was the first Israeli death in the conflict in 20 days. In recent months, Israeli forces have found about a dozen tunnels that they say are used to smuggle arms and drugs.

Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades, affiliated with the Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat's Fatah movement, claimed responsibility for the shooting in announcements at mosques in Rafah.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/11/international/middleeast/11MIDE.html

No comments:

Post a Comment

con·cept