US vetoes draft condemning Israeli construction of separation wall

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, October 15, 2003

US vetoes draft condemning Israeli construction of separation wall

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The United States on Tuesday vetoed a Syrian-sponsored draft resolution demanding that Israel cease and reverse the construction of a separation wall because it did not condemn terrorism in explicit terms.

Ten of the 15-member Security Council voted in favor while Britain, Germany, Bulgaria and Cameroon abstained.

Speaking after the vote, US Ambassador to the United Nations John Negroponte said the proposed draft was unbalanced and did notcondemn terrorism in explicit terms.

"The draft fails to address both sides of the larger security context of the Middle East, including the devastating suicide attacks that Israel had to ensure in the past three years," he said.

He said a Security Council resolution focused on the fence did not further the goals of peace and security in the region.

"We believe all resolutions on Israeli-Palestinian peace shouldreflect the kind of balance of mutual responsibilities embodied by the Quartet roadmap. The resolution does not do so," he said, adding that "ending terrorism must be the highest priority."

Palestinian Observer to the UN Nasser al-Kidwa, speaking after the vote, said "what happened today in this august council is veryregrettable," he said.

"The inability of the Security Council to take a firm stand on this matter of strategic importance, that is the expansionist separation wall, is very alarming," he said.

"With regard to the fate of the region and the possibilities ofachieving the Palestinian-Israeli peace, consequently, we have to find a way quite urgently to address what has happened in the framework of the UN system," he added.

The draft resolution says the construction by Israel of the security wall "is illegal under relevant provisions of international law and must be ceased and reversed."

At an open debate of the Security Council held earlier Tuesday,most speakers voiced strong opposition to Israel's decision to continue to build the separation wall and expand settlements in occupied Palestinian territory.

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