Arab states will deal with the US-appointed Governing Council in Iraq but not recognize it as a legitimate government, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said.
Maher spoke Monday at the end of a hastily convened meeting with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia and Syria.
The meeting was called after Israeli warplanes raided Lebanon Sunday following a bombardment by the Syrian-sponsored Hezbollah group that killed an Israeli teenager and wounded five other civilians.
Maher declined to say how he and his colleagues decided to address the revival of fighting along the Israeli-Lebanese border, but said: "It is unimaginable that we meet here without discussing the Israeli provocations."
Israeli officials have warned Lebanon and Syria they will be held responsible for the actions of Hezbollah, which initiated the first exchange of artillery fire in eight months with a bombardment Friday near the confluence of the Syrian, Lebanese and Israeli borders.
Maher accused Israel on Monday of impeding the "road map" peace plan and described Israel's construction of a fence around the Palestinian territories as a violation of the peace process. The plan aims to stem the conflict and set up a Palestinian state by 2005.
"It is clear that the Israelis are violating their obligations under the road map plan and creating conditions that make it difficult for the Palestinians to carry out their obligations," Maher told reporters after meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud.
Maher made clear Arabs would not be swayed by growing support for recognition of the Governing Council in Iraq. Since the Arab League refused to recognize the council early last week, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov have said the body should be recognized as a transitional government.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia, seen as moderates in the Arab world, gave logistical support to the US in the Iraq war.
Republican US lawmakers on Friday criticized US President Joe Biden’s administration after sanctioned Chinese telecoms equipment giant Huawei unveiled a laptop this week powered by an Intel artificial intelligence (AI) chip. The US placed Huawei on a trade restriction list in 2019 for contravening Iran sanctions, part of a broader effort to hobble Beijing’s technological advances. Placement on the list means the company’s suppliers have to seek a special, difficult-to-obtain license before shipping to it. One such license, issued by then-US president Donald Trump’s administration, has allowed Intel to ship central processors to Huawei for use in laptops since 2020. China hardliners
Conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell, who pursued separate careers, interests and relationships during lives that defied medical expectations, died this month in Pennsylvania, funeral home officials said. They were 62. The twins, listed by Guinness World Records as the oldest living conjoined twins, died on April 7 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, obituaries posted by Leibensperger Funeral Homes of Hamburg said. The cause of death was not detailed. “When we were born, the doctors didn’t think we’d make 30, but we proved them wrong,” Lori said in an interview when they turned 50, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The
RAMPAGE: A Palestinian man was left dead after dozens of Israeli settlers searching for a missing 14-year-old boy stormed a village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank US President Joe Biden on Friday said he expected Iran to attack Israel “sooner, rather than later” and warned Tehran not to proceed. Asked by reporters about his message to Iran, Biden simply said: “Don’t,” underscoring Washington’s commitment to defend Israel. “We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” he said. Biden said he would not divulge secure information, but said his expectation was that an attack could come “sooner, rather than later.” Israel braced on Friday for an attack by Iran or its proxies as warnings grew of
A prominent Christian leader has allegedly been stabbed at the altar during a Mass yesterday in southwest Sydney. Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was saying Mass at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley just after 7pm when a man approached him at the altar and allegedly stabbed toward his head multiple times. A live stream of the Mass shows the congregation swarm forward toward Emmanuel before it was cut off. The church leader gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, amassing a large online following, Officers attached to Fairfield City police area command attended a location on Welcome Street, Wakeley following reports a number