Annan attacks Israeli 'punishment'

The Palestinian uprising is six months old

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has attacked Israeli "collective punishment" of Palestinians.

Addressing the Arab League summit in Amman, he said the world had every right to criticise Israel's "excessively harsh response" to the Palestinian uprising.

But he reminded Arab leaders that the Jewish state had a right to exist within recognised borders.

"There is no solution to be found in violence, and no sense in postponing the day when the parties return to the table," he said, urging both sides to resume peace talks.

The two-day summit is intended to show Arab support for the Palestinian uprising against Israel.

Iraqi question

Disputes over Iraq threaten to overshadow the meeting.

The Baghdad Government wants the summit to adopt a resolution calling for an end to United Nations sanctions, imposed after the Gulf War.

But Kuwait and Saudi Arabia remain opposed, insisting on assurances that Iraq is no longer a threat.

Jordan's King Abdullah called for an end to the UN sanctions regime.

"The inconceivable suffering of our brethren in Iraq has gone on for far too long," he said.

But Mr Annan said that Iraq must review its positions and cooperate with the international community and Kuwait if it wants an easing of UN sanctions.

Draft communique

Arab foreign ministers preparing the resolutions to be discussed during the meeting found it easier to agree on support for the six-month-old Palestinian uprising.

The draft communiqué condemns Israeli security measures and calls for a revival of the Arab boycott to force Israel's new government to return to peace talks.

Jordan's King Abdullah is hosting the summit

Arab leaders are also expected to endorse an emergency loan to the Palestinians.

So far they have received only a tiny fraction of the $1bn dollars promised six months ago.

It is money that is badly needed. The Palestinian economy has been deteriorating, with the Palestinian Authority struggling to pay its employees.

Arab ministers were keen to emphasise their unity over the Palestinians and minimise their differences over Iraq.

"There are no points of disagreement. They are merely different approaches which we are trying to reconcile," Algerian Foreign Minister Abdelaziz Belkadem said.

Syrian Foreign Minister, Farouk al-Sharaa, seemed even more upbeat, saying: "A common ground has been reached and points of disagreement are now narrow."

Sanctions

But preparatory meetings for the summit struggled to find a compromise on Iraq.

Driven by popular Arab support, Iraq has asked fellow Arab countries not only to demand a lifting of UN sanctions, but to break them. Baghdad also wants an end to the Western-imposed no-fly zones.

But Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, who largely depend on Western powers for protection, still mistrust their Gulf neighbour.

Even after three days of deliberations, a final compromise is being left to the leaders themselves to work out.