Last update - 14:12 03/08/2006
Iranian President: Solution to Middle East crisis is to destroy Israel
By The Associated Press
PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday the solution to the Middle East crisis was to destroy Israel, Iranian state media reported.
In a speech during an emergency meeting of Muslim leaders in Malaysia, Ahmadinejad also called for an immediate cease-fire to end the fighting between Israel and the Iranian-back group Hezbollah. "Although the main solution is for the elimination of the Zionist regime, at this stage an immediate cease-fire must be implemented," Ahmadinejad said, according to state-run television in a report posted on its Web site.
The Islamic world's biggest bloc on Thursday demanded that the United Nations implement an immediate cease-fire in Lebanon and investigate what it called flagrant human rights violations by Israel.
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Leaders of key countries in the 56-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference, including Iran, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan and Turkey, voiced strong support for the Lebanese people "in their legitimate and courageous resistance against the Israeli aggression."
"We demand that the United Nations Security Council fulfill its responsibility ... by deciding on and enforcing an immediate and comprehensive cease-fire," the OIC said at an emergency summit. The declaration also called for a UN investigation into Israel's acts.
"We hold Israel responsible for the loss of lives and suffering ... and demand that Israel compensate (Lebanon) and its people for the losses sustained resulting from Israeli aggression," the leaders said.
Malaysia, which chairs the OIC, rallied presidents, prime ministers and policy-makers of 17 Muslim-majority nations for one-day talks to articulate their opposition to Israel's attacks in Lebanese and Palestinian territories.
"This war must stop, or it will radicalize the Muslim world, even those of us who are moderate today," said Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who leads the world's most populous Muslim country.
"From there, it will be just one step away to that ultimate nightmare: a clash of civilizations," he added.
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi called for a UN-backed force to stabilize the Israeli-Lebanon border.
Muslims "must show preparedness to contribute forces for peacekeeping operations under the United Nations banner," Abdullah told the conference.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said hostilities must be halted "before the spiraling violence engulfs the entire region and kills the hope for a durable and just peace in the Middle East."
Lebanon's Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh said his country's "sole request is a comprehensive cease-fire."
Other top figures assembled included President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, as well as leaders of Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brunei and Turkey. Foreign ministers and senior officials represented Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Senegal, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen, as well as the Palestinian Liberation Organization.
About 100 Malaysian Muslim activists chanted anti-Israeli slogans outside the summit venue.
Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas controlling southern Lebanon have been locked in fierce fighting for three weeks, resulting in hundreds of Lebanese civilian casualties.
Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora, addressing the conference in a video statement, said Israel's offensive "is taking an enormous toll on human life and infrastructure, and has totally ravaged our country and shattered our economy."
"Over 900 (have been) killed and 3,000 injured so far, one third of the casualties are children under 12," he said.
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1. Muslim world hypocracy 08:08 | Brad 03/08/06
2. Hezbollah says its winning the war! 08:46 | Anubhav 03/08/06
3. FINALLY! 08:49 | Sonja 03/08/06
4. My suggestion... 09:20 | Cherice 03/08/06
5. What`s new? 09:20 | Margie in Tel Aviv 03/08/06
6. WE TOLD YOU 09:22 | indrajaya 03/08/06
7. Did they condemn the use of human shields? 09:32 | Gina 03/08/06
8. Cherice -- LOL!! 09:34 | Gina 03/08/06
9. Time to wrap it up? 09:56 | wrapper 03/08/06
10. Indrajaya 10:07 | Sam The Sham 03/08/06
11. Slurs against Islam 10:12 | Myles McSwiney 03/08/06
12. Brad is right 10:19 | Walter 03/08/06
13. The Truth About Arab Anti-Semitism 10:21 | Sam The Sham 03/08/06
14. Muslim Peacekeepers - NO 10
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