Excerpts: EU expands terrorist list.Boycott of US opposed.The Blairs did not
apologize 19 June 2002
+++JORDAN TIMES 19 June '02: "Palestinian group slams EU 'terror' list"
QUOTES FROM TEXT:
"the move was proof that the EU was biased towards Israel."
"The new additions, whose assets must now be frozen by the 15 EU member
states, include the PFLP... the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade,... and the
Palestine Liberation Front.
The revised list is a potential embarassment for...Arafat, whose Fateh
movement is closely linkerd to Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade."
==========================================================
EXCERPTS:
BEIRUT (R) - The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)
slammed ... a European Union decision to place it and two other Palestinian
resistance groups fighting Israeli occupation of Arab lands on a "terror"
blacklist and vowed to continue their ... struggle.
Speaking at a conference of Arab parliamentarians in support of the
20-month-old Palestinian uprising..., senior PFLP official Maher Al Taher
said the move was proof that the EU was biased towards Israel.
European Union sources said ... that EU foreign ministers had added three
Palestinian resistance groups to the list of "terrorist" organisations,
which was adopted in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.
[IMRA: These additions were terrorist organizations frtom their inception.
It having taken 11 Sept. to have them so labeled says much about the
European Union.]
"They (EU) agree to Israeli pressure because they want to end the
resistance," said Taher. "... the European Union should instead have
condemned Israel, this terrorist state that behaves as though it is above
the law and UN conventions and commits the ugliest crimes... .
"Why this biased position? Aren't we people under occupation who have the
right to resist?" ... .
The new additions, whose assets must now be frozen by the 15 EU member
states, include the PFLP..., the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, ... and the
Palestine Liberation Front.
The revised list is a potential embarrassment for... Arafat, whose Fateh
movement is closely linked to the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. The PFLP is the
second largest Palestinian faction after Fateh.
Speaking on behalf of other Palestinian resistance groups, including Hamas
and Islamic Jihad, Taher said: "I declare... that our operations will not
stop and that our people's struggle shall continue and go on until we
liberate our land and chase off the last Israeli soldier."
+++JORDAN TIMES 19 June '02: "Majali cautions against calls for boycotts"
QUOTES FROM TEXT:
"calls by certain parties to boycott 'commodities imported from partner
countries would damage Jordan's interests and its ties with these
countries.' "
"such actions would also jeopardise financial assistance Jordan
receives."
======================================================
EXCERPTS:
MAFRAQ (Petra) - Minister of Interior Qaftan Majali on Tuesday warned the
public against following calls by "sceptics and instigators who try to
hinder the development process."
Majali said calls by certain parties to boycott "commodities imported from
partner countries would damage Jordan's interests and its ties with these
countries."
The minister was referring to calls to boycott US-made products and
franchises in protest against Washington's policies regarding the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
[IMRA: But did not refer to boycott of Israel.]
He said that such actions would also jeopardise financial assistance Jordan
receives.
His remarks came during a meeting he ... had with the Mafraq Executive
Council and senior officials in the governorate.
The minister urged governors to educate people on the dangers of these
campaigns, launched by "people with special agendas and who use rallies to
spread their ideas."
Majali said Jordan signed important bilateral, regional and international
agreements such as the FTA agreement with the US and the WTO. In addition,
it has launched projects such as Qualified Industrial Zones (QIZs) as part
of its economic development plans, he said.
+++JORDAN TIMES 19 June '02: "Cherie Blair 'sorry' over comments on
Palestinian bombers " [IMRA: Not mentioned on BBC TV.]
QUOTES FROM TEXT:
"The prime minister's wife earlier had said: 'As long as young people
feel they have got no hope but to blow themselves up, you are never going to
make progress' "
" `She did not and never would she ever condone suicide bombers or say
they had no choice.' "
" `what Cherie was saying, as everyone who has looked at this problem
knows is the case,' "
=========================================================
FULL TEXT:
LONDON (AFP) - Cherie Blair, wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, was
Tuesday forced into a public apology for saying that young Palestinians felt
they had no choice but to blow themselves up.
[IMRA: She didn't apologize. She used a spokesperson who said she was
sorry for those who misinterpreted Cherie's statement.]
Her comments were made hours after a suicide bomber killed 19 Israelis in
occupied Jerusalem, and appeared to be a gaffe by a prominent media
personality who has so far attempted to avoid any suggestion of playing a
political role.
Cherie Blair's remarks were condemned by opposition deputies while the
Israeli embassy in London expressed its "regret that any public statements
which might be interpreted as expressing understanding for Palestinian
terrorism should be made, particularly on a day on which 19 innocent Israeli
lives were taken by a suicide bomber from Hamas."
The embassy's statement added: "No political grievance or circumstance can
justify the wilful targeting of civilians for political gain, nor can those
who glorify and encourage such atrocities, teaching and preaching hatred and
violence, be absolved of their responsibility for this terrible phenomenon."
The prime minister's wife had earlier said: "As long as young people feel
they have got no hope but to blow themselves up, you are never going to make
progress."
Her comments were in stark contrast to those of Foreign Secretary Jack
Straw, who earlier condemned as "evil beyond words" the suicide bombing in
occupied Jerusalem.
Cherie Blair's comments were made when she appeared alongside Her Majesty
Queen Rania at the launch of a 500,000 pound ($743,000 ) charity appeal in
London aimed at improving medical assistance for thousands of Palestinians.
A spokeswoman for Cherie Blair said: "If any offence has been taken from the
interpretation of her comments then Mrs Blair is obviously sorry.
[IMRA: Surely Cherie doesn't need a spokesperson for this explanation.
Also, those who take offense are, in effect, accused of misinterpreting what
she said.]
"None was intended and it goes without saying that she condemns the atrocity
today in the strongest possible terms along with all right-minded people.
"She did not and never would she ever condone suicide bombers or say they
had no choice."
The prime minister also ran to the defence of his wife.
"First of all I hope that no-one misdescribes her sentiments, or mine or
anyone else's," he told reporters.
[IMRA: Again, blame is placed on those who'misdescribe" her sentiments.
The clarification intensifies the fault.]
"Everybody in this situation feels nothing but the deepest sympathy for the
people who have lost their lives in the latest terrorist attack. Terrorism
offers absolutely no future, no way out of that process whatsoever," he
added.
"But of course it is true that we need to make sure that there is hope for
the future and the hope lies in the political process taking the place of
the extremists, the terrorists and the suicide bombers.
"And I am sure that is what Cherie was saying, as everyone who has looked at
this problem knows is the case," said the prime minister.
Michael Ancram, foreign affairs spokesman for the opposition Conservatives,
attacked the prime minister's wife for using the "most unfortunate words."
"These words will cause massive offence," he said. "There can never be any
justification for terrorist violence, particularly of the kind we saw in
Israel this morning."
Dr. Joseph Lerner, Co-Director IMRA
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