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France "deplores" US veto on Israel
France on Wednesday deplored the veto cast by the United States on a United Nations resolution demanding Israel to drop its threat to assassinate or expel Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. "We deplore the negative result of the (UN) Security Council vote on the draft Arab resolution concerning the Middle East," said Cecile Pozzo di Borgo, spokeswoman of the French Foreign Ministry. On Tuesday, 11 Security Council members including France voted in favor of the resolution sponsored by Syria and Sudan. The United States voted [sic] VETOED it, saying that it did not contain a condemnation of what the United States describes as terrorist groups such as the Hamas. Britain, Germany and Bulgaria abstained after hours of consultations. Germanyâs on the Security Council now? The resolution "addressed a balanced message to both sides that was likely to result in a consensus," said the French spokeswoman. The text also called for an immediate and unconditional halt to"acts of violence and terrorism" between Israelis and Palestiniansand a return to the roadmap peace plan put forward by the Quartet (the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia), she added. France "along with the overwhelming majority of countries that have issued a call for Israel to rethink its decision, reiterates this appeal," she said. Enditem Itâs not unilateral if Britain, Germany, and Bulgaria also have misgivings. Besides, if you wanna talk about unilateralism, look at Franceâs block of the Libyan settlement a few weeks ago. Posted by: Dar 2003-09-17 |
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