The newspaper of Syria's ruling Baath party on Thursday denounced the United States and other world powers for working to release three Israelis captured by Lebanese militants but turning a blind eye to the Palestinians' suffering, reported (AFP)
"It is regrettable that certain international circles, and particularly the United States, ignore the sadism, racism and atrocities committed by the Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinian Arab people," Al-Baath said.
"Their main preoccupation and their efforts are steered solely toward the three Israeli soldiers," the newspaper said.
"It is strange that these circles get taken in by Israeli allegations, such as that these soldiers' capture constitutes a violation of Resolution 425," Al-Baath said, in a clear snipe at UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
Annan said Tuesday that he considered the soldiers' capture Saturday by the Syrian-backed Islamist movement Hezbollah "a clear violation" of UN Resolution 425, the 1978 measure that called on Israel to withdraw from south Lebanon and for Beirut's authority to be restored in the area.
Al-Baath countered "the UN Charter gives the Lebanese people the right to resist occupation and defend itself."
The Israeli soldiers were snatched in the Shebaa Farms, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Damascus, the main powerbroker in Lebanon, now supports Beirut's claim that the territory is Lebanese – (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
