15 September 2003
Ending Terrorism Number One Mideast Priority, Negroponte Says
Tells U.N. Security Council U.S. does not support Arafat's elimination or exile
Ending terrorism must be the highest priority in the Middle East peace process, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Negroponte said September 15.
In remarks to the Security Council, Negroponte said that "I think we all recognize the tragic dynamic in play in the Middle East: Each time a glimmer of hope, however dim, appears, a terrorist act seeks to extinguish it. This council must take a clear stand against the actions of these terrorist groups."
The Security Council was meeting at the request of the Arab Group to discuss the escalating violence in the Middle East and Israel's threatened expulsion of Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat. The group also submitted a draft resolution for the council to consider.
Negroponte said that the United States will not support any resolution that does not contain "a robust condemnation of acts of terrorism; an explicit condemnation of Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigade as organizations responsible for acts of terrorism; and ... [a] call for the dismantling of the infrastructure which supports these terror operations wherever located."
The ambassador said that the United States has made clear that it does not support either the elimination or forced exile of Arafat.
Following is the text of the ambassador's remarks:
(begin transcript)
September 15, 2003
USUN PRESS RELEASE #135 (03)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Statement by Ambassador John D. Negroponte, United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations, on the Situation in the Middle East, in the Security Council, September 15, 2003
Thank you, Mr. President.
I'd like to join others in thanking Mr. Roed-Larsen for his very comprehensive briefing.
Over the weekend, the Secretary-General and the permanent members of the Security Council reaffirmed their commitment to the Quartet's roadmap and urged both sides to go forward with its implementation.
While all parties have responsibilities in bringing peace to the Middle East, ending terrorism must be the highest priority. Those responsible for targeting civilians, obstructing the Quartet's efforts and Palestinian prospects for an independent state are known groups: Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade. The leaders and spokesmen of these groups have openly claimed credit for scores of terrorist bombings, most recently Hamas' bombings in Jerusalem on August 19 and September 9 and Tel Aviv on September 9.
I think we all recognize the tragic dynamic in play in the Middle East: each time a glimmer of hope, however dim, appears, a terrorist act seeks to extinguish it. This Council must take a clear stand against the actions of these terrorist groups and call for decisive action against them. In this regard, we commend the European Union for adopting a clear stance on Hamas earlier this month.
Any Security Council resolution on the Middle East that we would support must contain: a robust condemnation of acts of terrorism; an explicit condemnation of Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigade as organizations responsible for acts of terrorism; and such a resolution also must call for the dismantling the infrastructure, which supports these terror operations, wherever located, consistent with Resolution 1373.
We will not support any resolution that dodges the explicit threat to Middle East peace posed by Hamas and other such terrorist groups.
Mr. President, the next Palestinian Prime Minister must have real political authority to act against terrorist organizations as well as the tools to do so, including control over all the security organizations within the Palestinian Authority. The new Prime Minister and his cabinet must demand that all acts of terrorism cease, and insist that terrorist organizations and armed groups not under the control of the Palestinian Authority be outlawed and dismantled.
For its part, we believe Israel must move forward and fulfill its obligations and commitments under the roadmap. This will provide a supportive environment for the new Palestinian leadership to act decisively against terrorist organizations, such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, which are intent on destroying the roadmap and the prospects for a two-state solution.
In closing, I would like to underscore that the Government of Israel is already aware of the views of Council Members on the issue of Mr. Arafat. In addition, Secretary of State Powell stated recently that the United States does not support either the elimination of him or his forced exile. We have conveyed our view to the Government of Israel and cautioned against this.
Quartet envoys met on September 13 to prepare for a meeting of principals in New York later this month. In order to more quickly realize a two-state solution in the Middle East, we urge Members of the Council, Member States, and both parties to condemn terrorism as a means of achieving political objectives, and to rally to the support of the Quartet roadmap. This, not another Security Council resolution, would represent the most constructive way forward at this critical juncture.
Thank you very much, Mr. President.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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