Newspapers in the Arab world are unanimous in condemning the US veto of a draft UN Security Council resolution denouncing Israel's decision to remove Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.
Most view it as further evidence of US "bias" towards Israel and argue that it will harm efforts to bring peace to the Middle East region.
They also interpret it as a green light to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to expel, or even assassinate, the Palestinian leader.
This US veto... in the interests of Israel is a clear sign of the US' current contradictory policies towards the region and international efforts to restore peace... The US administration says it is opposed to the Israeli decision to banish the Palestinian Authority president. It has confirmed this through its top officials, but the latest veto does not reflect this.
Tishrin - Syria
The US has sent out another wrong message to Arabs and Muslims worldwide with its veto... The problem cannot be resolved and martyrdom operations, which result in the deaths of many Israelis, can never be ended unless UN resolutions and the Oslo and Sharm el-Sheikh agreements on the Palestinian issue are implemented.
Al-Ahram - Egypt
The US is used to using the right of veto to block any resolution from the UN Security Council condemning Israel... But the veto by the US the day before yesterday is viewed as a danger to the Palestinians and their leaders... The fate of the roadmap is not in the hands of Israel but rather in the hands of the US, because it is the only one which is capable of restraining this Zionist country.
Al-Bayan - UAE
It is worth noting that the US veto defending Israel came on the same day the US campaign against Syria was renewed, with claims that Syria is co-operating with terrorists and is attempting to acquire weapons of mass destruction... Immediately after... the US decision, Israel started sending its forces to Gaza and announced its rejection of the truce proposal announced by the Palestinians and continued its raids, detentions and killings throughout the West Bank, thus prolonging the tense and dangerous situation in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and the region.
Al-Sharq al-Awsat - London
By using its veto... the US administration has laid bare its real enmity towards Arabs and Muslims and its support for Israel's terrorist activities against the Palestinian people... The US stand of fully backing Israeli terrorism will have a bloody impact on the US presence in Iraq, because it will prompt hundreds or perhaps thousands of Muslim and Arab youths inside and outside Iraq to join the resistance groups.
Al-Quds Al-Arabi - London
Through its recent veto, the US has gone against international sentiment and responses opposed to the Israeli resolution aimed at banishing Arafat. By this action, the US has, once again, given Israel the green light to do wrong.
Al-Watan - Saudi Arabia
The US veto is in support of Israeli aggression... I fear what spectators also fear will happen - that Israel will understand this veto to mean that it now has permission to go ahead with its plan to banish President Arafat.
Al-Dustur - Jordan
The US veto against the Arab resolution at the Security Council... shows the US resolve to ensure that a sword hangs over the head of the Palestinian president.
Al-Nahar - Lebanon
The US veto is opposed to the roadmap... Without doubt, this veto encourages Israel's policies of assassination.
Al-Jumhuriyah - Egypt
The international community, and in particular, the Arabs, fear the US veto will give Israel the go-ahead to implement its plan to kill Yasser Arafat.
Al-Jazirah - Saudi Arabia
BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.
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