Date : 30/07/2006
KUN0096 4 GEN 0370 FRANCE /AFP -GWB3
POL-US-MIDEAST-SINIORA
Siniora says Israel's attacks "state-sponsored terrorism"
WASHINGTON, July 30 (KUNA) -- Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora on
Sunday appealed to the American people to put pressure on the US
Administration to demand an immediate ceasefire to end what he called Israel's
"state-sponsored terrorism."
In an interview with the CBS "face the national program," Siniora called on
the American people to stand for peace and to ask for an immediate ceasefire.
"The Israelis are committing really, state-sponsored terrorism. These
crimes are against humanity that are being committed by the Israelis," he said.
Siniora was referring to the Israeli air attacks on the village of Qana,
which killed 54 people including 37 children in the largest casualty tolls
among civilians since the war erupted 19 days ago.
The United States called the Qana attack "horrible event" but stopped short
of demanding an immediate ceasefire, sticking to its position that a ceasefire
must be coupled with a lasting peace, and not a temporary cessation of
hostilities.
So far, about 700 people were killed since the war erupted, according to
Siniora, and more than 3000 others were injured while hundreds of thousands of
Lebanese citizens and tourists fled the country seeking safe shelter.
Siniora, on Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's last-minute cancellation
of a scheduled visit to Beirut, said it would be worthless to schedule such a
visit without carrying a clear message of an immediate ceasefire and end of
hostilities.
Rice called off the visit to Beirut after receiving "unwelcome" signs from
the Lebanese officials, ending a tour of the Middle East that included only
one stop to Tel Aviv where she failed to secure an end to military attacks
during her talks with the Israeli government.
The latest Qana attacks, termed now as "Qana 2", drew an international
outcry against Israel and the United States, specially from the Arab world and
prompted UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to request an emergency Security
Council meeting to issue a statement demanding an immediate ceasefire.
It is not clear yet whether the United States would support such measure.
(end) sa.mab
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