Al-Ahram Weekly | Front Page

		Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 22 - 28 February 2001 Issue No.522
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875		Current issue \| Previous issue \| Site map

Euro role
PRESIDENT Hosni Mubarak met with Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, Prime Minister Giuliano Amato and Pope John Paul II in Rome this week and underlined the importance of Middle East stability and regional cooperation, writes Nevine Khalil in Rome. Mubarak outlined Arab views on the latest developments in the region, stressing the importance of relaunching Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations and promoting a more active European role.
The leaders also discussed the ramifications of US-British strikes against Iraq. Italian officials were keen to take the Egyptian leader's perspective, agreeing that violence in the Palestinian territories must be stopped and that the European Union (EU) should be more politically involved in the peace process. Amato expressed his hope that Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon would agree to European mediation, and the pope issued a statement emphasising the grave need to end violence in the region, urging all parties to "work towards a just peace based on international law, equal rights and duties."
Egypt and Italy praised increased cultural exchange and signed an agreement diverting $146.7 million in Egyptian debts towards financing domestic agricultural development, food security and environmental projects.
Barak out
IN A STARTLING move after weeks of indecisiveness, Ehud Barak, the outgoing Israeli prime minister, has spurned Premier-elect Ariel Sharon's offer to be defence minister in a new broad-based national unity government. On Tuesday, Barak also resigned both his parliament and Labour Party posts.
Labour Party Minister Haim Ramon, one of Barak's outspoken rivals, yesterday said the party still favoured a national unity government with Likud and added that Barak's departure would end the infighting within the party. Earlier, the Likud gave Labour one week to join the coalition before opting to unite with the right-wing and religious parties, Reuters reported.
State terror
THE AMNESTY International human rights organisation has harshly condemned Israel for using "excessive, random or negligent force" during the five months of the Palestinian uprising. In a statement released yesterday by the London-based organisation following a recent visit by an Amnesty delegation to Israel, it said Israel's policy of targeting Palestinians suspected of attacking Israelis amounted to a policy of state assassination. It urged Israel to end its liquidation policy and to investigate all unlawful killings of Palestinians, rejecting the Israeli argument that the situation was one of armed conflict which allowed the government to protect its soldiers and civilians, Reuters reported.
During a meeting in Washington on Tuesday, Palestinian Planning Minister Nabil Shaath, complained to US Secretary of State Colin Powell that Israel had used gas bombs against Palestinian civilians at the Khan Younis refugee camp in Gaza. Powell said the US administration needed more detailed information before taking action, and said the US opposed Israel's policy of assassinating Palestinian leaders.

Recommend this page

© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved

Send a letter to the Editor

ARCHIVES
Letter from the Editor
Editorial Board
Subscription
Advertise!

WEEKLY ONLINE: www.ahram.org.eg/weekly
Updated every Saturday at 11.00 GMT, 2pm local time
weeklyweb@ahram.org.eg

Al-Ahram Organisation