AL council 110th session's final statement
Regional, Politics, 9/18/1998

In its 110th session which was concluded Thursday in Cairo, the Arab League council called upon the international community to impose sanctions against Israel so it will abide by international legitimacy and carry out its obligations.

The council stressed support for the Middle East peace process according to UN resolutions 242, 338 and 425 and the land for peace principle. It reiterated its rejection of all measures taken by the Israeli occupation authorities to change the demographic status in the Golan and viewed these measures as null and void.

It called upon the Middle East peace process cosponsors to force Israel to abide by international legitimacy resolutions provide for its full withdrawal from the Golan until June 4, 1967 border line and support for Syria's stand to achieve just and comprehensive peace.

The council strongly condemned Israel's continued occupation of south Lebanon and its western Bekaa. It called upon the UN to carry out UN Security Council resolution 425 of 1978 providing for Israel's immediate and unconditional withdrawal from south Lebanon until the internationally recognized border.

The AL council also condemned the continued Israeli aggressions against Lebanon and the siege imposed on the citizens of the occupied Lebanese areas. It expressed concern and denunciation over the decision of the Israeli court which allows the use of Lebanese detainees as hostages and bargaining chips and allows Israel to hold them without trial.

Also condemned was the decision of the Israeli government to expand the municipal borders of Jerusalem and its schemes to Judaize the city and create a new situation that defies international legitimacy resolutions in this respect. On the threat posed by Israeli nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction to Arab national security, the AL council stressed the grave consequences of Israel's owning of such weapons as the only side to have weapons of mass destruction in the region.

It called upon the Arab states to continue contacts in the international arenas to pressure Israel join the Non-Proliferation Treaty and to subject its nuclear firms to inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The council also asserted the grave consequences of the Israeli space spying activities on Arab national security. The council reiterated what had been advocated in its previous decisions in supporting the rights of each of Syria and Iraq to the waters of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. They called upon the Turkish government to join tripartite negotiations to reach a final agreement for a fair division of these waters that guarantees the rights of the three countries according to international law in this respect.

The council expressed concern over Turkey's continued erection of dams and other related projects on the Tigris and the Euphrates without consulting the two countries that share the rivers, namely Syria and Iraq, according to articles of international law and protocol and the treaties signed between the three countries.

The council condemned the US threats to launch a new attack against Sudan. It asserted its previous decision of August 24 on the US military strikes against al-Shifaa medicinal factory as an aggression against Sudan and a violation of its sovereignty. It stressed support for Sudan against aggressions targeting its territorial integrity and warned against the consequences of foreign intervention in the affairs of Sudan as a country and a member of the AL.

The council supports Libya's position in joining talks with sides concerned through the UN secretary general so as to establish arrangements and ensure guarantees for a fair trial in the Lockerbie crisis. The council stressed the commitment of the Arab states to suspending the sanctions imposed against Libya as soon as an accord is reached with countries concerned on the said guarantees and arrangements.

It also stressed lifting these sanctions totally by the Arab states when the two Libyan suspects involved in the case are presented before the court. The council stressed Libya's right to be compensated properly for any damages.

Meanwhile the council denounced the threats calling for intensifying the sanctions imposed upon Libya according to a recent Security Council resolution of Libya does not turn the suspects over.

AL Secretary-General Esmat Abdul Meguid announced that the AL resolution regarding Lockerbie agreed with the resolution of the recent Non-Aligned Summit in South Africa.

The Arab foreign ministers' meetings witnessed disputes concerning Libya's call for the Arab states to immediately lift the international sanctions imposed upon it according to the decision taken by the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in Ouagadougou.

The council, moreover, called upon all Somali factions to honor their obligations and to cling to supreme interests to achieve national reconciliation.

Previous Stories:
  Arab foreign ministers call for sanctions on Israel, Libya unhappy   (9/17/1998)
  Arab League says no hope for peace while Netanyahu is in office   (9/16/1998)
  Arab League urges Israel to join Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty   (7/22/1998)

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