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| Middle East |
| Peres: Syria to blame for Megiddo attack |
| 2002-06-07 |
| Foreign Minister Shimon Peres yesterday lashed out at the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, saying it shares in the blame for Wednesday's Megiddo bus bombing, because Damascus is harboring terrorist organizations. Peres made the accusation during a series of media interviews, including one with Qatar-based al-Jazeera television, in which he noted that the orders for the deadly attack were given by Islamic Jihad leader Abdallah Ramadan Shalah from his base in Damascus. Peres? Making faces at somebody? And at Syria, of all somebodies? Peres, speaking to reporters at the Israel Export Institute Conference in Tel Aviv, said Syria plays host to no fewer than 10 terror organizations headquartered in Damascus, including Islamic Jihad. "I said that Ramadan Shalah, who is the commander of the Jihad forces and who lives and operates in Syria, said that he had given the order. I place responsibility on Syria, which hosts 10 terrorist headquarters in Damascus," Peres said. Y'mean Syria is driving one of the major terror organizations within Israel? Who'da thunkit? Wotta surprise! Ambassador to the UN Yehuda Lancry sent a letter yesterday detailing Syria's responsibility for Wednesday's attack near Megiddo to Ambassador Mikhail Wehbe of Syria, current president of the Security Council. "Israel is appalled that a member of the Security Council continues to lend its support to organizations committed to deliberate murder of civilians," Lancry wrote. Noting that Syria assumed leadership of the 15-member body at a time when Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the council have made fighting international terrorism a top priority, Lancry wrote, "It is astounding that Syria is brazenly supporting attempts to subvert anti-terrorist objectives of an international body of which it itself is president. Oh. It's just a political whack, for form's sake. Nothing is expected to come of it. Syria will "reject the charge" and we'll move on to the next accusation by one side against the other. Truth or falsity has no bearing, as long as there are charges and rejections. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |