Israel's Super Power Protector and Financier Vetoes UN Security Council Resolution that forbids Israel from expelling Arafat

by The Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS - The United States last night vetoed United Nations resolution demanding that Israel halt threats to expel Yasser Arafat from the West Bank because it did not contain a condemnation of terrorist groups such as Hamas.

Eleven of the 15 Security Council nations voted in favor of the resolution and three abstained: Britain, Germany and Bulgaria.

At a council meeting on Monday, virtually all of the more than 40 speakers condemned Israel's threats against Arafat.

Syria, the only Arab nation on the Security Council, had been pressing for a vote since last week's decision by Israel's security cabinet to "remove" Arafat in a manner and time to be decided.

U.S. deputy envoy James Cunningham informed the council in the morning that the U.S. would veto the latest draft. He said the U.S. was forced to veto because the resolution failed to name groups such as Hamas and the Al-Aqsa Brigades, which the U.S. blames for promoting terror.

Immediately after the vote, America's U.N. Ambassador John Negroponte reiterated that the United States does not support the elimination or forced exile of Arafat .

Cunningham said he told council members that the latest text was unacceptable because it would not promote the peace plan known as the road map, which is backed by the U.S., the United Nations, the European Union and Russia.

Britain, which holds the council presidency this month, proposed amendments on Monday dealing with implementation of the road map, but Syria rejected them.

Syria's U.N. Ambassador Fayssal Mekdad expressed regret at the vote, calling the resolution "highly balanced" and noting that most of the language came from previous resolutions adopted by the Security Council.

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