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DATE=10/12/2000

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=U-N Mideast Update (L-Only)

NUMBER=2-267872

BYLINE=Larry Freund

DATELINE=New York

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: The United Nations Security Council decided Thursday not to hold an immediate meeting to discuss the violence in the Middle East despite a demand from the Palestinian representative at the United Nations for the meeting and a resolution calling for an end to the violence. Correspondent Larry Freund reports from New York.

TEXT: After meeting privately, the 15-member Security Council decided unanimously not to hold an immediate meeting to discuss the violence in the Middle East. The decision followed an earlier call for a meeting by the Palestinian representative at the United Nations, Nasser Al-Kidwa, who told reporters Israeli military action in the west Bank and Gaza was, in his words, tatamount to declaring an all-out war against the Palestinian people.

Council president Martin Andjaba of Namibia told reporters he had talked by telephone with U-N Secretary-General Kofi Annan who is on a peace mission in the Middle East. Mr. Andjaba quoted the Secretary General as saying the situation is very serious, very delicate and fluid, an assessment he discussed with the Security Council members.

/// ANDJABA ACT ///

The members of the Council expressed great

concern about that situation and agreed to

continue to monitor closely the situation. But

for the time being, there will be no immediate

action by the Council.

/// END ACT ///

The members had decided unanimously, Mr. Andjaba said, there will be no action by the Council.

In his earlier comments to reporters, the Palestinian representative, Mr. Al-Kidwa, blamed Israel for the violence and said the Israeli soldiers killed by a mob of Palestinians in Ramallah were members of a special unit that had carried out summary executions of Palestinian civilians. Israel says the soldiers were reservists who had become lost and it launched helicopter gunship attacks against Palestinian targets in the West Bank and Gaza.

The U-S representative to the United Nations, Richard Holbrooke, said the United States opposed a Security Council meeting on the Middle East violence and any resolution on the issue. Mr. Holbrooke said the Council resolution adopted this past Saturday condemning the excessive use of loss against Palestinians was biased, one-sided and unhelpful to the situation. As a result, Mr. Holbrooke added, the Security Council at least temporarily ended its potential usefulness in this crisis. (Signed)

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