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President discusses ME crisis with Islamic leaders

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, July 22, IRNA
Iran-President-ME
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad here Friday exchanged views with leaders of Islamic states on how to end the crisis in the Middle East as Zionist attacks on Lebanese civilians and infrastructure enter their 11th day and residents, particularly foreign expatriates, flee the country for safety.

The Iranian president held separate phone conversations with leaders of Turkey, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Ahmadinejad blamed international circles, particularly the United Nations and Western countries in particular, for their silence and/or support to the Zionist regime in its massacre of defenseless women and children, and urged Islamic states and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to act decisively in ending these attacks.

"Islamic governments, including regional states, should fulfill their responsibilities in a more concrete way because failure will mean these aggressions will not be limited to Lebanon," he said.

He added that the capture of two Zionist soldiers by Hezbollah was a mere pretext of Tel Aviv for launching its pre-planned program in Lebanon, which is to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure, but which has resulted in the killing of hundreds of innocent civilians and massive destruction of the country's infrastructure.

"The Zionist regime is a serious and permanent threat to international security, particularly in the Middle East region. If the Zionists succeed in materializing their goals, they will undoubtedly expand their brutal measures."
He called attention to the need to hold an extraordinary session of the OIC for members to exchange views on the current crisis, saying the ire of regional states is increasing because certain international powers have failed to act in this crisis.

"If this wrath reaches a critical point, deep-rooted ties of regional states with Europeans will be seriously challenged." Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, talking to the Iranian president by phone, said Iran has a pivotal role in maintaining peace and stability in the region, and called on regional states to adopt a common strategy to provide urgent help to the oppressed Lebanese people.

He urged the OIC to hold diplomatic consultations to try to work out ways of ending the Zionist regime's aggression, saying peace in Lebanon can be restored by bringing parties to declare a ceasefire and providing urgent humanitarian aid.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf also expressed his concern over the worsening situations in Lebanon and Palestine, killing of women and children and destruction of infrastructure, and voiced his country's readiness to dispatch humanitarian aid to the Lebanese people.

He said Islamabad backs Iran's proposal for an extraordinary session to be held by the OIC in order to decide on appropriate measures to restore tranquility in the region and stop the savage attacks of the Zionist regime.

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who holds the rotating presidency of the OIC, presented a report on measures recommended by his country and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to be taken to end the ongoing crisis even as he expressed deep concerns over the deteriorating situation in Lebanon, occupied lands and continuing atrocities of the Zionist regime in Lebanon.

In a letter to leaders of the Group of Eight industrial countries, Badawi said he has called for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon and Palestine and the dispatch of peacekeeping forces to the region as well as an effective role for the United Nations.

He expressed his regret over the apparent weakness of the UN Security Council in immediately responding to the crisis, and said the call of Islamic states for holding of an extraordinary session of the UN General Assembly would be the most logical step toward restoring peace in Lebanon.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, for his part, also expressed his deep concerns over the situation in Lebanon and the continuing attacks of the Zionist regime, saying Islamic states should adopt a collective decision to try to end the regime's attacks.

He said that Islamic states can be a greater international force in helping the Lebanese and Palestinian peoples by pushing for the holding of an extraordinary session of the UN General Assembly.

Saudi King Abdullah said his country was among the first to condemn the atrocities and aggressions of the Zionist regime.

He added that Saudi Arabia had called on senior officials of big powers to adopt measures to end the atrocities of the Zionist regime.

He stressed the important role of his country and Iran in defending peace, security and stability in the region, and called on senior officials of the two countries to exchange views on effective ways of confronting the crimes of the Zionist regime.

Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani also condemned the crimes of the Zionist regime and voiced his country's readiness to help the Lebanese people and attend an extraordinary session of the OIC proposed by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

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