Islamic countries to hold emergency session on middle east
Palestine-Regional, Politics, 4/16/2004

Member-countries of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) will hold an emergency session on the Middle East at the request of Palestinian president, Yasser Arafat, it was announced in Malaysia which is chairing the pan-Islamic organization.

A tentative date was set at May 4 to discuss the Palestinian issue and the situation in Iraq, said Malaysian foreign minister Syed Hamid Albar.

Arafat has called for the emergency meeting after US president George W. Bush gave on Wednesday the green light to Israel to go ahead with its unilateral withdrawal plan.

The Jeddah-based OIC groups 57 member countries.

Bush stated after talks Wednesday with Israeli prime minister that Israel could keep some Arab land captured in the 1967 war.

Syed Hamid said that the US endorsement of Sharon's proposals would not contribute to peace and prosperity in the Middle East.

"I think the original roadmap which was agreed upon will be derailed and I don't think the new proposal will add value towards achieving peace in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," he said.

Palestinian premier Ahmed Qorei has accused Bush of an "unacceptable" violation of the peace process after he said it was unrealistic to expect an end to all Jewish settlements in the occupied territories.

"It cannot be decided by the president of the United States what is realistic and what is not realistic," Qorei told reporters at his West Bank offices. "This is a real violation of the roadmap."

Previous Stories:
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  Moussa: Israel not partner to peace process   (3/27/2004)
  ISESCO condemns assassination of Sheikh Yassin   (3/24/2004)

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