Fed: Jerusalem's Mayor cuts short Aust visit to return home

AAP General News (Australia)
12-02-2001
Fed: Jerusalem's Mayor cuts short Aust visit to return home

By Anthony Stavrinos

SYDNEY, Dec 2 AAP - Jerusalem's Mayor Ehud Olmert today cut short his visit to Australia
and flew home to deal with the tragic aftermath of yet another terrorist attack in his
city.

Two Palestinian suicide bombers killed 10 other people when they blew themselves up
in a crowded nightlife area of west Jerusalem, police said.

Some 170 people were wounded in the twin suicide attack within 60 metres of each other
in Ben Yehuda Street last night.

It was followed by the blast of a car bomb that added to the panic but caused no further
casualties.

Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer described the attacks as morally reprehensible.

"I condemn this terrorism as morally reprehensible in that it is aimed at innocent
civilians, and as tragically futile in that all it achieves is the undermining of peace
in the Middle East," Mr Downer said in a statement.

Mr Olmert said he had no doubt that the blame for the devastating attack lay squarely
at the feet of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

He said the identity of those behind suicide attacks including yesterday's were known
to Israeli security officials.

"The names of the operators, of many of those suicidal attackers, are known and are
routinely submitted to the Palestinian Authority (PA) by the Israeli secret security services,"

Mr Olmert told reporters in Sydney.

"They (PA) refuse to arrest them. They refuse to stop them.

"And thus, they allow them the kind of freedom which is necessary for them to be able
to equip themselves and to move in relative freedom in the territories which are administered
by the Palestinian Authority."

He said that was why suicide attackers sometimes succeeded in their mission, despite
exhaustive efforts by Israeli authorities to stop them.

In the past, Mr Arafat had been provided by the United States' secret service, the
CIA, with lists of people suspected of being involved in terrorist attack preparation,
but had failed to take any action.

"No action was taken to actually arrest them in spite of promises made," Mr Olmert said.

"And some of those whose names were listed were then responsible directly for such activities."

But Mr Arafat's condemnation of the bombings was nothing more than a "PR game", Mr Olmert said.

The Palestinian leadership issued a statement condemning the attack and pledged to
assume "all its commitments and responsibilities" to track down those responsible.

Mr Downer said he had spoken with Mr Olmert to express outrage at the attacks and offer
condolences.

He said violence would never solve the differences between Palestinians and Israelis.

"I urge both sides to do all they can to get back to productive negotiations," Mr Downer said.

AAP as/ldj/de

KEYWORD: MIDEAST AUST NIGHTLEAD

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