| Submit your comments on this article |
| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Syria told to ditch Islamic Jihad |
| 2005-07-13 |
| Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is insisting that Syria end its support for Islamic Jihad, the Palestinian group believed to be responsible for killing four Israelis Tuesday in a suicide bombing. While Israeli troops arrested five activists of the group the State Department says is a terrorist organization, Rice lent U.S. diplomatic support to the campaign, singling out Syria for special criticism. "It is essential that the Syrian government end its support for terrorist organizations, particularly those who are headquartered and harbored in Damascus," Rice said in a statement issued as she flew home after a trip to Asia. "Syria should immediately stop letting its territory be used for insurgent activities and for activities which frustrate the aspirations of the Lebanese, Iraqi and Palestinian people," Rice said. Syria has long denied involvement in terror attacks on Israel. Rice called the attack in Netanya Tuesday an attack against Palestinian hopes as well as against Israel. The statement was part of a Bush administration effort to keep early peace moves from being thrown off track by attacks on Israel. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon remains committed to withdrawing all settlers and Israeli troops from Gaza and part of the West Bank this summer. But he also has made clear that Israel cannot keep making territorial and other concessions under the threat of terror. In the meantime, Palestinian leaders have not dismantled terror groups, as the first phase of the U.S.-backed road map for peacemaking requires. The White House on Tuesday reiterated that demand. Islamic Jihad has carried out attacks on Israel despite agreeing to a truce in February. On Tuesday, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a shopping mall in the Israeli seaside city of Netanya, killing four women and wounding at least 30 other people. There was no immediate claim of responsibility by Islamic Jihad, but Palestinian police said the bomber, 18-year-old Ahmed Abu Khalil, was sent by the same Islamic Jihad cell that was behind a Tel Aviv nightclub bombing that killed five Israelis a couple of weeks into the truce. In both cases, Iranian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas prodded the cell into action and apparently provided funding, Palestinian police said. Asked Tuesday if the State Department had any information that Syria had a hand in the bombing, spokesman Tom Casey replied: "I don't have anything that specific that I can share with you." But, he said, "what we know for certain is that Palestinian Islamic Jihad has operations and has offices in Damascus. We believe that this is one of the issues that represents Syria's support for terrorism and Syria's support for those who oppose the aspirations of the Palestinian people to have a peace process." |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #2 Who do? |
| Posted by: Willie 2005-07-13 17:02 |
| #1 Baby Assad hear the roar of, but cannot see the F117s |
| Posted by: BigEd 2005-07-13 16:22 |