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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: Hawkmoon who wrote (18182)2/6/2002 3:25:02 PM
From: Hawkmoon  Respond to of 281500
 
OLYMPIC COMMITTEE BANS NEW AFGHAN FLAG
Wed Feb 06 2002 10:52:51 ET

**Exclusive**

The International Olympic Committee has banned the flag representing a newly-liberated Afghanistan from being flown at the opening ceremonies, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

Afghan diplomats planned for a single female Afghan athlete to carry the new flag, symbolizing its new role in the world.

Justified concern of the IOC's treatment of the American WTC flag has obscured an equally-painful slight: the IOC's refusal to allow Afghanistan a rare chance to be seen as part of the world of nations by allowing the country's new flag to be flown at the games.

Afghan's new ambassador in Washington, D.C., Haron Amin, is hopeful his contacts at the U.N. might break the deadlock with the IOC in time for the opening ceremonies, top sources tell the DRUDGE REPORT.

The IOC and Afghanistan have been battling over the flag since December.

PRECEDENT IS EAST TIMOR

Shortly before its independence after a savage civil war, the IOC allowed the nation of East Timor a berth in the opening parade as a gesture of welcome.

The Afghan community, especially in the United States, is concerned the IOC snub implies second-class status for a nation eager to re-join the free world.

MORE

One of Afghanistan's first acts since its liberation by International armed forces was to inform the IOC its intention to re-join the games.

Afghanistan has fielded Olympic teams since 1936 -- interrupted only the Soviet invasion in 1978 and the Taliban occupation later on.

"The IOC's intransigence makes no sense; people fought and died for a free Afghanistan and isn't that what the Olympics are about: INTERNATIONAL FREEDOM!" a spokesperson for the Afghan embassy told the DRUDGE REPORT.

Developing...

drudgereport.com



To: Hawkmoon who wrote (18182)2/6/2002 3:57:15 PM
From: Nadine Carroll  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 281500
 
So the proposal is to permit both Palestinians and Israelis to establish and maintain their distinct capitals within Jerusalem, which would also pacify both nations, in exchange of the parties agreeing to an all around peace.

It might if the central issue were Israel's occupation of the territories, as the Arabs claim. If all the Arab states offered a peace treaty in return for withdrawal, that would lend evidence to the assertion. Since I don't believe this assertion -- I think that Israel's existence was, and is, the central issue -- I also feel quite certain that such an offer will never be forthcoming.