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United Nations -- The three resolutions on the Middle East passed by the Security Council in March and April form a roadmap and the basis for Secretary of State Colin Powell's mission to the region and there is no need for more resolutions at this juncture, U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte said April 8. Speaking during an urgent council meeting on the Middle East, Negroponte said, "now is the time for leadership on the ground and in the region. We do not need any more resolutions. We need full implementation of the existing ones." For the past week, the Security Council has been holding meetings both public and private in an effort to stop the escalating fighting and destruction in the West Bank. Before the public meeting April 8, the council met separately for several hours with the chief Israeli and Palestinian representatives to press the demands outlined in the resolutions. On April 4, it passed its third resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from West Bank towns. US-sponsored resolution 1397, passed on March 12, calls for an end to the violence and terror and affirmed a vision of two states within secure and recognized borders. Resolution 1402, passed March 30, calls for an immediate cease-fire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from West Bank towns, including Ramallah, and a return to the Tenet work plan. After a private meeting on April 7, Council President Sergey Lavrov of Russia read a statement to the press on behalf of the council saying that the members are "seriously concerned at the further deterioration of the situation and violation of international humanitarian law in the Palestinian Territories, including many victims among the civilian population and a threat of destruction of the Palestinian Authority." Security Council members "are deeply disturbed by the failure to implement resolutions 1397, 1402, and 1403. The continuation of violence by the power in control of events on the ground is unacceptable," Lavrov said. Some nations are pressing the council to take further action, possibly passing a resolution under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which allows the use of force to implement its resolutions. Palestinian representative Nasser Al-Kidwa once again asked the council to authorize a international monitoring force for the territories. However, Negroponte and several other ambassadors argued that the council should give diplomacy a chance, standing united behind the three resolutions already passed. "Although neither side has demonstrated compliance with resolution 1402, a high-level diplomatic effort is now underway," said Negroponte, who is the U.S. permanent representative to the U.N. The ambassador said that he spoke with Powell before his departure to brief him on the council's discussions. The resolutions "are the basis" for Powell's mission, the efforts of the Quartet of special envoys due to meet in Madrid on April 10, and the focus of U.S. special envoy General Anthony Zinni's efforts. "President Bush has called for Israeli withdrawal without delay. He spoke directly with Prime Minister Sharon on April 6 to deliver this message. And today he repeated once again that he meant what he said," Negroponte said. The ambassador said, "in the absence of a clear condemnation of terrorism by Arab leaders, Palestinian suicide bombers in Gaza and the West Bank will be convinced that they have a green light to destroy any hope of a return to a peaceful settlement of the Arab-Israeli dispute." Negroponte, other diplomats, and U.N. officials also called attention to the dangerous situation along the Blue Line at the Lebanon/Israeli border where Hizballah has stepped up attacks, including attacking U.N. peacekeepers. "Hizballah actions can only be understood as a deliberate effort to escalate the situation and widen the conflict just as Secretary of State Powell arrives in the region to promote implementation of Resolutions 1402 and 1403," the U.S. ambassador said. Negroponte called on Lebanese and Syrian leaders "who have influence over Hizballah's actions, to exercise maximum restraint and work to prevent a serious escalation that could destabilize the region." Attending a conference in Madrid, Secretary General Kofi Annan gave his full backing for Powell's mission. "We are solidly with him and I hope he will have a successful mission," Annan said. "It is not going to be easy," the secretary general said. "He doesn't have a magic wand, so we should not expect miracles. It's a tough mission, but we will be with him all the way." (The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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