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September 21, 2001
U.S. anti-terror coalition
Israel in anti-terror coalition
Countries are helping the victims and will try to make the world
safer.
Israel will be a full partner in the international anti-terror
coalition that U.S. President George W. Bush is building, a senior
Western diplomat told the Jerusalem Post Sept. 13.
Bush said the co-operation of a coalition would allow him to "rout
out and whip" the terrorists. He warned that regimes that harbor
terrorists would be held accountable for their actions.
The president received the backing of NATO countries when the alliance
invoked its mutual defence principle for the first time in history.
The principle states that an attack against one NATO country is
attack against all NATO countries and calls upon member countries
to support each others' military response. The United Nations Security
Council's unprecedented condemnation of terror will also give Bush's
coalition a free hand.
Less certain to join the coalition is Saudi Arabia, the birthplace
of the man Bush holds responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks on New
York and Washington, arch-terrorist Osama bin Laden. The United
States is unlikely to go out of its way to include the Saudis, who
the Americans believe have not decided whether they support or oppose
terror.
The same goes for Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat.
Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres warned Arafat last week that
he would face the wrath of the world if he does not renounce terrorism.
The same day, Arafat called for Arab states to declare their readiness
to join the international anti-terror coalition.
Pakistan's upcoming role
While Bush and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell have described
the terrorist strikes as an act of war against America, officials
have held off on giving any details of the scope of what the response
will be. The offensive is sure to be multifaceted and lengthy and
will require the co-operation of Arab and Muslim states that are
hotbeds of Islamic fundamentalism, like Saudi Arabia, Egypt and
Pakistan, analysts and officials said.
Speculation on how the campaign will begin has ranged from a full-scale
invasion of Afghanistan - whose Taliban regime shelters bin Laden
- to sending in special units to try to root out terrorist cells.
Pakistan, which borders Afghanistan, may play a crucial role in
any conflict in the region. The Americans are readying a full list
of requests of the Pakistanis. They start with an order to sever
ties with the Taliban and include use of their air space and land
for the passage and stationing of troops if necessary.
Israel in the West Bank
While Bush has promised a "monumental struggle" against
terror, he was not only referring to a military response. One diplomat
suggested that restraint, economic sanctions and tech- nological
means can also be used to fight terror.
In this vein, the United States was concerned about the timing
of Israel's invasion of Jericho last week. The diplomat echoed Palestinian
fears in saying that Israel cannot act as if it has a blank cheque
to target the Palestinians while the world is focused on New York.
In its widest-ever offensive in Palestinian-held territory, Israel
Defence Force tanks and other armored vehicles destroyed Palestinian
positions in four West Bank cities and towns Sept. 13, leaving at
least four Palestinians dead and numerous police stations demolished.
The actions were part of the defence establishment's new policy
of retaliating with greater severity to attacks on Israelis. Officers
in the Central Command said they feel they have a freer hand to
respond to terrorist acts following the terror attacks in the United
States.
Palestinian gunmen in the Jordan Valley killed two Israelis on
Monday, Sept. 10.
For the first time, IDF forces encircling Jericho moved into the
city with tanks around 2 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 13. Palestinians reported
that at least 22 tanks entered the southern portions of the city,
its sky lit up with flares. According to news agencies, an IDF bulldozer
demolished a training centre usedby Palestinian forces, including
Force 17. The army said it had taken positions around the city "to
prevent terrorists from leaving it and entering Israel."
Despite Israel's military action, Peres and Arafat were discussing
a meeting, senior diplomatic sources said, noting that both Israel
and the Palestinians take very seriously Powell's recent suggestion
to "get this process of meetings started."
"This is Arafat's opportunity to prove that he is not bin
Laden," officials in Israel's Prime Minister's Office said.
Last Sunday, however, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said he would
agree to let Peres meet with Arafat but only after a cessation of
violence of 48 hours.
B'nai B'rith relief fund
On the humanitarian side, B'nai B'rith International has started
a disaster relief fund to aid the victims of the terrorist attacks
and their families.
"We have begun an immediate effort to aid those directly affected
by these devastating acts," said B'nai B'rith International
president Richard D. Heideman. "This tragedy is such that people
want to do anything they can to help."
Two hundred and sixty-six people died aboard the four hijacked
planes, two of which crashed into the World Trade Centre in New
York Sept. 11. A third hit the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., and a
fourth crashed in Somerset County, Pa. Almost 200 people are thought
to have been killed in the Pentagon, and thousands are presumed
dead in New York, including hundreds of police officers and firefighters.
B'nai B'rith International has a long-standing practice of non-sectarian
disaster relief, most recently for victims of January's Central
American and Indian earthquakes. Contributions can be sent to the
B'nai B'rith Disaster Relief Fund, 1640 Rhode Island Ave. N.W.,
Washington, D.C., 20036, Attn: U.S. Terrorism Relief. Donations
also can be made via a secure server on the B'nai B'rith International
Web site, www.bbinct.org.
- Jerusalem Post
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