DAMASCUS, Syria—The head of the 22-nation Arab League on Nov. 4 dismissed an appeal by Osama bin Laden to Muslims to join a holy war against the West.
Arab League Secretary General Amr Musa said, before a meeting here of
Arab foreign ministers, bin Laden doesn't speak in the name of
Arabs and Muslims.
But Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq Al Sharaa, in his address to the
opening session of the meeting of the ministers, blasted the United
States for its unlimited
support to Israel. Sharaa said it was
shameful
for Palestinians and Lebanese fighting Israeli
occupation of their lands to be branded as terrorists.
The United States on Nov. 2 added 22 more groups to its list of
alleged terrorist
organisations and individuals, whose
financial assets are to be frozen. The English-language Saudi Gazette
said, By logical extension, in view of these reports, there is no
need for Sharon to hold any kind of talks with the Palestinians, now
that the intifada has been branded as terrorism.
Musa warned at the meeting?s opening that a new Israeli-Palestinian
peace deal must aim at establishing a Palestinian state. A peace
process must have content and its aim must be the establishment of a
Palestinian state,
he said.
U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair have recently issued statements favoring the establishment of a Palestinian state, while stopping short of concrete details.
We will not wait 10 more years, statements alone are not enough,
they must be backed up on the ground,
said Musa.
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