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Saudi Newspaper Calls On Annan To Step Down
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Annan
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RIYADH, May 4 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – Following his failure to force Israel to comply with the United Nations’ decision to send a fact-finding mission to Jenin, a Saudi newspaper Saturday calls on Annan to step down.
According to the Agence France-Presse (AFP), the newspaper, called Al-Bilad wondered "why this virtuous man does not resign in protest at the deliberate obstruction of crucial resolutions" by the two states if he is incapable of applying UN resolutions against Israel or the United States.
The paper also asked "Why does he not quit in protest at the ineffectiveness of the international body when it comes to (implementing) important resolutions?
This criticism reflects the anger of the Arab states over the cancellation of the mission, as it comes at the same time Arab states are to call an emergency session of the United Nations General Assembly to discuss the massacres that took place at the Jenin refugee camp.
The move comes after an acrimonious debate in the UN Security Council over the disbanding of a fact-finding mission to the camp, news agencies said.
Al-Bilad also said it was time to reform the various bodies of the United Nations, especially the Security Council, since "the UN's battle with Israel will always be lost so long as ... the Security Council is not reformed," AFP reported.
Al-Jazirah warned that by refusing to allow a UN fact-finding team into Jenin to investigate Palestinian charges of a massacre by Israeli forces in the West Bank camp, Israel was putting at risk all international resolutions amid total silence from the five permanent members of the Security Council.
Referring to the double standards measures the UN is conducting, the paper said "The UN bypassed its own laws and applied laws exclusively (designed) for Arabs without even a threat from the Islamic world to pull out of the international body".
The paper urged the Arabs to have a reaction for such behavior, no matter how minor it might be".
The Palestinian's UN observer, Nasser al-Kidwa, said the council had failed to give its backing to Annan and had given in to Israeli "blackmailing", news agencies reported.
According to AFP, most of the 38 speakers at the six-hour meeting denounced Israel for blocking the UN team. Arab delegates said they would ask the General Assembly to back a resolution accusing Israel of war crimes.
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