kofi anan says israel shouldn't use disproportionate force. but, then it won't lead palestinians to see cost of terrorism too high
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U.N. Calls on Israel to Withdraw
UNITED NATIONS -- The United States joined other U.N. Security Council members Saturday in adopting a resolution that calls on Israel to withdraw its troops from Palestinian cities, including Ramallah, where Yasser Arafat's headquarters is under siege.
The 14-0 vote, at 4:30 a.m. EST, capped a marathon emergency session called at the request of the Palestinians. It came a day after Israel declared the Palestinian leader an enemy and, vowing to isolate him, launched an extensive military campaign in response to a series of attacks on Israeli civilians.
It was the second time in a month that the United States, Israel's closest ally, approved a Mideast resolution, after years of abstaining and vetoing Council measures critical of Israel. On March 13, the United States voted with the council to approve a resolution calling for a Palestinian state.
In Jerusalem, the Foreign Ministry responded by saying Israel "has no interest" in remaining in Palestinian areas.
"It would have been preferable if the resolution had more clearly stressed the Palestinian responsibility for the deplorable terrorist attacks, which constitute the sole reason for the Israel army's present operations," the statement said.
Saturday's vote was boycotted by Syria, Israel's most hard-line neighbor, which sought a resolution making no reference to Palestinian suicide bombings. The resolution adopted by the council expresses "grave concern" about the recent suicide bombings in Israel, and the Israeli raid on Arafat's West Bank compound.
It was the first boycott of a council vote in 42 years, dating back to 1960 when the Soviet Union stayed away from a session that created a peacekeeping mission in the Congo.
Syria's U.N. ambassador Mikhail Wehbe said he stayed away because the resolution did not condemn Israeli attacks against Palestinians. He also said that it did not note the initiative of this week's Arab summit in Lebanon to achieve "a global, comprehensive peace, a just peace, a permanent peace in the area."
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