| Blair warns of 'arc of extremism' across Middle East [message #225620] |
So, 16 Juli 2006 21:45 |
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060716/wl_uk_afp/mideastunrest britain_060716134046
LONDON (AFP) - Prime Minister Tony Blair has said there was an
"arc of extremism" across the Middle East and the world would rue the
consequences of failing to resolve the burning issues there.
Blair said Sunday extremism was being fuelled by Syria and Iran and
was bent on disrupting democracy and freedom throughout the region.
"The only way we're going to get anything done in this situation both
in respect of what's happening in the Gaza (Strip) and in respect of
the Lebanon is if we deal with the underlying causes that are giving
rise to that," Blair told BBC television in an interview from Saint
Petersburg, where the Group of Eight leading industrialised democracies
are holding their annual summit.
"And that means, one, that we sort out a situation between
Israel and Palestine when you can get back into negotiating a two-state
solution.
"Then secondly that we remove the influence of Hezbollah to disrupt
both the prospects in the Lebanon and the prospects in the wider
region."
Blair added that Hezbollah was, "I'm afraid, encouraged and supported
both by Syria and Iran," he said.
Eight people were killed Sunday in a Hezbollah rocket attack on
Israel's third largest city as Israel continued to pound Lebanon on the
fifth day of a spiralling conflict which has already cost scores of
lives but spurred little international action.
"The truth is there is an arc of extremism right across that region
that wants to disrupt the process towards democracy and freedom whether
it's in Iraq or in Lebanon or down in the Palestinian
territory," Blair said.
"That arc of extremism is being supported by countries like Iran and
Syria.
"We can do all the condemnation we like.
"If we don't resolve that basic issue and put ourselves as an
international community firmly on the side of moderates whether they
are in the Lebanon, Palestine or Israel, then we will rue the
consequences of it."
Leaders from the G8 states -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy,
Japan, host Russia and the United States -- were working on a statement
appealing for conditions to be met for a ceasefire in Lebanon,
according to a French diplomat in Saint Petersburg.
Blair, denying that he and US President George W. Bush had lost
capital in the Middle East over the war in Iraq, said: "We will try to
find common position which gives us the opportunity then of calming
things down and trying to restore some peace and order to the
situation."
On the flare-up, he said: "It began by Israeli soldiers being killed,
some of the soldiers being kidnapped, rockets being fired from the
Lebanon by Hezbollah into Israel," adding that the Jewish state was
bound to act.
"It is extremely difficult, very, very worrying because it links in not
just with the issue to do with Israel and Palestine but also the issue
to do with Israel and the Lebanon and of course it's got regional
implications far beyond that."
Blair recalled the position of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan, which
have indirectly criticised Hezbollah for harming Arab interests.
They had made it clear "exactly where they think responsibility lies",
he said.
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