Jordan Times
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
King calls for Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon
ISLAMABAD (Agencies) — King Abdullah on Tuesday
called for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon and urged the world
community to support Beirut in regaining full control over the war-torn south.
King Abdullah, who made a visit to Pakistan for talks with President Pervez
Musharraf on the situation in the Middle East, also called for a “comprehensive
resolution” of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“The recent crisis in Lebanon underscores the necessity of achieving a just,
lasting and comprehensive resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,” the
King told reporters after the talks.
King Abdullah said he hoped the international community would help the Lebanese
government “in extending its sovereignty and its control over all of its borders
by ensuring the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon and finding a
comprehensive solution towards a permanent ceasefire”.
The Monarch also urged the establishment of an independent Palestinian state,
co-existing side-by-side with Israel, and called on the two sides to resume
peace negotiations, in line with the Arab Peace Initiative, adopted by Arab
leaders at their Beirut summit in 2002.
“We can no longer depend on a piecemeal or unilateral solution and must work in
a determined and expeditious manner to restart negotiations between Palestinians
and Israelis,” he said.
Musharraf, meanwhile, urged the international community and the Organisation of
the Islamic Conference (OIC) to extend generous help to both Lebanon and the
Palestinian Authority for their rebuilding and rehabilitation efforts.
“Loss of a large number of innocent lives and massive destruction in Lebanon as
a result of the flagrant Israeli offensive has caused us deep anguish and
despair,” Musharraf added.
“It is essential that Israeli withdrawal and the restoration of Lebanese
sovereignty and integrity take place urgently so that the root cause of the
recurring problems in the Middle East could be addressed.”
King Abdullah later arrived in Baku to meet with Azerbaijan President Ilham
Aliyev.
The King’s visit to Islamabad follows Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid
Kasuri’s trip to Lebanon and Syria earlier this month on behalf of the 57-nation
OIC.
Pakistan, which does not recognise the Jewish state, says it would consider
participation in a UN force in south Lebanon if its troops were “welcomed” by
all parties to the conflict.
The two leaders described their talks yesterday as very productive that covered
several bilateral, regional and international issues.
According to Musharraf, Amman and Islamabad have “a complete consensus on
regional and international issues, especially those confronting the Muslim
world”.
The King said: “Pakistan is indeed an important country and we would very much
like it to continue playing a key role in bringing peace and security in the
region.”