The US Treasury department yesterday banned any Americans from taking part in a construction project in Beirut, accusing Hizbollah of using the project to raise funds for terrorism.
The $370m Waad (Promise) Project is centred around rebuilding the suburb of Dahiyeh, a Hizbollah stronghold that was devastated during the 2006 war with Israel. It includes homes and businesses and is the biggest construction project in the country since the redevelopment of downtown Beirut after the 1975-1990 civil war. But the US Treasury accused Hizbollah, which the US considers a terrorist group, of having used the company behind the project - also called the Waad Project - to rebuild its command headquarters in Dahiyeh and underground weapons storage facilities and other military infrastructure.
(AKI) - Syria's Foreign Minister Walid Moallem on Monday called Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip "a barbaric act" and called for those responsible to be prosecuted for war crimes at an international tribunal. Moallem was speaking at a media conference in the Turkish capital, Ankara, with his Turkish counterpart, Ali Babacan.
"Through this criminal aggression Israel has proved that it does not want peace," he said. "It's a country based on aggression, killing, war crimes and mass destruction. What peace are they talking about in the face of this aggression?"
As a European delegation met the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and other leaders in Cairo in a bid for a peaceful solution, Moallem and Babacan called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
"I came to Turkey to discuss ways to bring about an immediate ceasefire, a removal of the blockade and the opening of all crossings, as well as finding a mechanism to achieve these goals," Moallem said. "I stress to you that our opinions are similar and that we have formed a joint stance."
Babacan said an international monitoring group was essential for peace. "The implementation of a sustainable solution under an international guarantee is only possible with the formation of an international monitoring group," he said. "Turkey would not hesitate to take on such a mission if it is asked or demanded."
Moallem met Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul earlier on Monday during his one-day visit.
Last Monday Babacan announced that Turkey was suspending efforts to host indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria because of the Israeli offensive in Gaza. In May, Syria and Israel, technically still at war since the first Arab-Israeli conflict in 1948, began Turkish-mediated indirect talks after direct negotiations halted eight years ago over the Golan Heights issue.
Turkey, who condemned Israel for the ground offensive, has called on the Jewish state to immediately end its operation in Gaza in retaliation for Hamas rocket attacks, and appealed to the United Nations Security Council to end the violence.
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Posted by: Fred ||
01/07/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
Let's not mention Syria's terrorist supporting campaign and war crimes committed in Iraq, shall we?
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