Posted on 11/14/2003 8:43:52 PM PST by PeaceCorpsGuy
Mussa: Impose Sanctions against Israel, not Syria --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, November 14 2003 @ 01:44 AM EST
Amr Mussa "Mussa said: 'Israel must be condemned and questioned for the long term occupation of Arab nations' lands, state sponsored terrorism, genocide of Palestinians, and imposing a serious threat against the regional and global security ..'"
DAMASCUS - Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa, denouncing the US Senate for approving a legislation providing for tough sanctions against Syria on Tuesday, argued on Wednesday, that sanctions need to be imposed against Israel and not Syria.
According to Syria’s official news agency SANA from Cairo, Mussa said, "Israel must be condemned and questioned for the long term occupation of the Arab nations` lands, state sponsored terrorism, genocide of the Palestinian nation, and imposing a serious threat against the regional and global security and stability."
He expressed hope that the US administration would soon correct its past mistakes and resort to constructive talks with Syria, instead of making more tense the Arab world-US relations by insisting on its pro-Israeli stances.
SANA in a separate news item, said Amr Mussa, in a telephone conversation with the Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Farouk al-Shara, discussed with him the recently passed US legislation. The two sides exchanged views on the latest Middle East developments during the phone talk.
The new US sanctions against Syria are being imposed on the pretext of punishing the countries supporting the so-called "terrorist groups" and those who pursue achieving weapons of mass destruction (WMDs).
The Syria’s Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Act was easily passed earlier last month at US Congress with 398 votes in favor, and only four votes against.
The US Senate vote on Tuesday, too, was passed with 89 votes in favor and again 4 votes against, and enables the US administration to impose various kinds of sanctions against Syria.
They include imposing limits against US exports to that country, limiting the visits by Syrian diplomats and politicians to the United States, or decreasing the number of Syrian diplomats in America. The new US legislation, also bans the exports of "dual-use" technology to Syria, and states that the Syrian airlines` flights over the US air space should be limited.
The Syrian officials have in early remarks on the move qualified the US legislation of no effect on Syria’s economic, political, social and military spheres.
The official organ of Syria’s ruling al-Ba`th Party, the Al-Ba`th daily in its Wednesday editorial said, "The Syrian nation and governments will stand firm in the face of the new sanctions.
The bill meanwhile allows the US government to freeze Syria’s assets in the United States.
It also calls for Syria to withdraw its 20,000 troops deployed in neighboring Lebanon.
Other Arab states, too, quickly denounced the latest US anti-Syrian moves and insisted that dialogue was the only way to solve differences between Washington and Damascus for the sake of regional stability.
Source: IRNA News Agency
Hmmm, you start a war, you lose a war so the other country gains territory. Pretty simple to understand for most people.
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