State Department January 22 Briefing

Excerpt: Arafat Needs to Dismantle Terrorist Organizations

State Department January 22 Briefing

The U.S. condemns the terrorist attack in Jerusalem January 22, and calls upon Chairman Arafat "to take immediate and effective steps to end attacks such as these and bring those responsible to justice," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said in Washington January 22.

Arafat "needs to dismantle the organizations that do these things," Boucher said.

Asked if the U.S. is also calling on the Israelis to stop other kinds of actions, such as the reoccupation of Tulkarm, Boucher responded that the views of the U.S. government on incursions are well known and added, "We're pleased that the Israelis have withdrawn from Tulkarm. We welcome that step."

Boucher also noted that the appeal of Libyan intelligence agent Abdel Basset al-Megrahi, who was convicted of murder in connection with the Pan Am 103 Lockerbie bombing, will take place in the Netherlands, before a Scottish court, beginning on January 23.

Following are excerpts from the January 22 State Department

Mr. Boucher On the situation today, as you know, there have been shootings in Jerusalem this morning. We absolutely condemn this terrorist attack. There is no justification for these kinds of attacks. They only kill innocent people.

Once again, we call upon Chairman Arafat to take immediate and effective steps to end attacks such as these and bring those responsible to justice. Once again, the point is that he needs to dismantle the organizations that do these things. It's not a matter of whether they decide they will or they won't carry out attacks; it's making sure that they can't.

Question: Are you also calling on the Israelis to stop other kind of actions such as the destruction of the Palestinian TV or reoccupation of Tulkarm yesterday?

Mr. Boucher I'm sorry, are we --

Question: Also calling on the Israeli side to --

Mr. Boucher We have, I think, made clear our views on several of these things. Certainly our views on incursions are well known, and we are pleased that the Israelis have withdrawn from Tulkarm. We welcome that step. But I think the Israelis are quite aware of our views on some of these kinds of actions.

........

Question: Different subject. There was a possibility that the appeal, that Mr. Al-Megrahi's appeal in the Netherlands, was going to begin today.

Mr. Boucher I think it's tomorrow.

Question: Is it tomorrow?

Mr. Boucher Here's what I have from the lawyers, that beginning on January 23rd the appeal of convicted Libyan intelligence service member Abdel Basset Al-Megrahi will be heard before a Scottish court. Megrahi was convicted of murder in January 2001 in connection with the Pan Am 103 Lockerbie bombing. As with the original trial, the proceedings will take place in the Netherlands before a Scottish court.

(end excerpt)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)


International Security \| Conflict Resolution 22 January 2002