U.S. Recommends the Removal of Arafat

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan proposed the Security Council of UN to send an international force to Palestinian towns in the West Bank on the 18th. Secretary-General Annan said, “international forces should be send to settle the Middle East conflicts. The mission of the international forces is △putting an end to the violence, △monitoring the withdrawal of Israeli troops, △supporting Palestinian economy rebuilding, and △preparing conditions for a peace talk”.

International human rights activist group Amnesty International and Red Cross Committee took examples of spot execution, torture, violence on civilians, arbitrary destruction of houses through the research report on the Israeli troops` infringement on human rights in the West Bank, and urged Security Council to investigate the spot promptly.

Meanwhile, Jerusalem Post reported on the 19th that U.S. administration officials recommended former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to get rid of Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat.

An Israeli source said that Netanyahu told Prime Minister Ariel Sharon the recommendation in a meeting explaining the result of the visit to America on the 18th. Former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu had visited America from the request of Prime Minister Sharon, and met Vice President Dick Cheney, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Jong-Dae Ha orionha@donga.com