[News] US vetoes UN resolution on Gaza

[Anti-Imperialist News]

US vetoes UN resolution on Gaza

Thursday 13 July 2006 8:28 PM GMT

The United States has rejected a United Nations resolution demanding 
Israel end its military offensive in the Gaza Strip.

The US was the only country to vote against the draft resolution put 
forward by Qatar on behalf of Arab nations. Ten of the 15 Security 
Council nations voted in favour and four, Britain, Denmark, Slovakia 
and Peru, abstained.

The draft resolution accused Israel of a "disproportionate use of 
force" that endangered Palestinian civilians, and demanded Israel 
withdraw its troops from Gaza.

The draft had been changed before the vote over concerns that it was 
too biased against Israel. Calls for the release of the Israeli 
soldier abducted by Palestinian militants and an end to rocket 
attacks on Israel were added.

But John Bolton, the US ambassador to the UN, said the draft was 
still unacceptable because it had been overtaken by events in the 
region - including the capture of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah 
on Wednesday - and was "unbalanced".

"It placed demands on one side in the Middle East conflict but not 
the other," Bolton said. "This draft resolution would have 
exacerbated tensions in the region."

The resolution called on Israel and the Palestinians to "take 
immediate steps to create the necessary condition for the resumption 
of negotiation and restarting the peace process".

It urged all parties to help alleviate the "dire humanitarian 
situation" faced by Palestinians.

The draft also demanded the release of Palestinian officials arrested 
by Israel since the offensive began.

The US had campaigned for other nations on the 15-member council to 
either vote against the resolution or abstain.

The last veto at the Security Council, in October 2004, was cast when 
the US blocked a resolution condemning another Israeli operation in Gaza.

Eight of the last nine vetoes have been cast by the United States. 
Seven of those were to do with the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

AP


You can find this article at:
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/36D7D6BE-EE01-4564-9AEA-EC02AA9AE8F2.htm 



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