Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Africa
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
North America
Search
Search:
Saudi FM criticizes Palestinians
By SALAH NASRAWI,Associated Press Writer AP - Thursday, January 1
CAIRO, Egypt - Saudi Arabia's foreign minister on Wednesday blamed Palestinian divisions for Israel's onslaught on Gaza, a reflection of U.S.-allied Arab governments' anger at the Hamas militant group.
Saud al-Faisal made the comments at an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers in the Egyptian capital, convened to try to put together a joint response by the deeply divided Arab nations to the Israeli offensive, which has killed more than 370 Palestinians and sparked outrage across the Middle East.
Pro-U.S. Arab countries _ Egypt, in particular _ have come under heavy criticism in widespread street protests, as well as from Iran, Hamas, the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, for allegedly not doing enough to stop Israel or help Gazans. Officials and pro-government media in Egypt and Saudi Arabia have responded by blaming Hamas for provoking Israel and accusing the militant group of being a proxy promoting the power of regional rival Iran.
Saud's comments criticizing the Palestinians were notable because in past Israeli offensives against Arabs, Arab leaders would rarely voice anything but heavy condemnations against Israel. Saud stopped short of directly criticizing Hamas _ but it was clear from his talk of "Palestinian divisions" that his words were directed at the militant group, which took over the Gaza Strip in 2007 in a battle against loyalists of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
"This terrible massacre would not have happened if the Palestinian people were united behind one leadership speaking in one voice," Saud said at the league meeting's opening.
"We are telling our Palestinian brothers that your Arab nation cannot extend a real helping hand if you don't extend your own hands to each other with love," he said.
At the end of the meeting, the ministers called on Palestinians factions to put aside their differences and urged the U.N. Security Council to issue a resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, according to a final statement.
The Mideast has largely been divided in two camps _ pro-U.S. states like Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan on one side, and Syria, Iran and their allied militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah on the other.
The U.S. allied camp has been concerned over growing Iranian influence _ and worry that the Persian state will gain a foothold in Gaza through Hamas, which gets financial backing from Tehran. Israel says its offensive aims to halt Hamas rocket fire into its territory.
But the popular anger over the Israeli bombardment has put the heat on Egypt and its allies. Egypt this week turned to Turkey _ a regional rival of Iran with close ties to Israel _ to put together an initiative to end the Gaza fighting.
The Arab foreign ministers reviewed the plan Wednesday. It calls for an immediate, unconditional halt to the Israeli assault, followed by a long-term truce between Hamas and Israel, and international monitors to guarantee the truce and the opening of border crossings into Gaza, which Israel has kept largely sealed since 2007.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus on Wednesday to promote the plan. Syria's official news agency, SANA, said Erdogan and Assad called on Arab and Muslim countries to pressure Israel to end the airstrikes and warned of the "danger and consequences" a continued "aggression" would have on the region.
Later Wednesday, Erdogan moved on to pro-U.S. Jordan, where he met separately with King Abdullah II and Abbas. He travels on Thursday to Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa expressed frustration with Arab and Palestinian divisions. "We are all in one boat, riddled with holes, and only our cohesion can save us," he said.
Egypt has been criticized because it has kept closed its Rafah border crossing into Gaza, the territory's only access to the outside world that does not run through Israel. Egypt says it cannot open Rafah as long as Abbas' Palestinian Authority is not in charge there, but critics accuse it of helping Israel's suffocating economic blockade. Egypt has let in some humanitarian supplies since the Israeli offensive began Saturday.
Late Wednesday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah renewed his pressure on Egypt. "We still demand that Arab rulers and Arab people urge the Egyptian government to open the Rafah crossing," he said, addressing crowds at a rally south of Beirut through a large screen from an unknown location.
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Recommend this article
Average (0 votes)
Sign in to recommend this article »
Most Recommended Stories »
Related Articles: World
Economy puts damper on New Year's Eve celebrationsAP - 30 minutes ago
Murders, shootings decline in Newark for 2nd yearAP - 48 minutes ago
Israel moves forward and sends more troops to GazaAP - 57 minutes ago
Burris goes to court to push appointment throughAP - 1 hour 17 minutes ago
Caution light rerouted Marine in fatal jet crashAP - 1 hour 30 minutes ago
Most Popular – World
Viewed
Japanese tourist spends 3 months in Mexico City airport
Two thousand and strange: offbeat stories of the year
Actress Jennifer Aniston appears naked in GQ magazine
Defiant governor fills Obama's senate seat despite graft scandal
Israel mulls truce proposals as jets pound Gaza
View Complete List »
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular