Defiant Nablus dares tanks, OIC, EU huddle for solution

In the past 48 hours, witnesses said about 150 Israeli tanks and armoured vehicles have deployed around Nablus, viewed as a stronghold of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. The group, linked to Arafat’s Fatah movement, that has claimed responsibility for some of the recent suicide attacks which have killed dozens of Israelis.

In Kuala Lumpur, Islamic nations wrapped up a three-day meeting on Wednesday, condemning the worldwide scourge of terrorism and Israeli actions but skirting the sensitive issue of what is a terrorist act.

Organisation of the Islamic Conference Foreign ministers, whose talks were dominated by the West Asia crisis, said the term terrorism could not apply to struggles or resistance of people under colonial or foreign occupation.

Meanwhile, European Union Foreign ministers planned to increase diplomatic pressure on Israel to withdraw from Palestinian cities at emergency talks in Luxembourg on Wednesday evening, diplomats said. Some ministers were also expected to vent frustration at an apparent US green light for Israel’s military sweep in the West Bank despite Washington’s declared support for a weekend UN Security Council resolution demanding a pullout.

The 15 ministers are likely to send EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and possibly Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Pique, holder of the rotating EU presidency, to the region to press for a immediate ceasefire, a pullback, Arafat’s release and a return to peace talks.

The UN Security Council was due to meet for the fourth time in six days with Palestinian diplomats pushing for a fresh resolution demanding that the council enforce its weekend call for Israel to withdraw from Palestinian-ruled areas.