Spanish Foreign Minister Says Israeli Threat To Expel Arafat Is A Big Mistake

     AP     2003/09/13

Spanish Foreign Minister Ana Palacio said Saturday Israel's threat to expel Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was a "big mistake."   

"We (the Spanish government) have always said that Arafat has been part of the solution and the decision by the Israeli government (to expel him) is a big mistake," she told reporters.

Palacio spoke at a joint press conference with Syrian counterpart Farouk al-Sharaa after arriving in Damascus on the first leg of a three-nation tour, which includes Iraq and Kuwait.

Israel's security Cabinet has declared Arafat "a complete obstacle" to peace and said it would "work to remove this obstacle" at a time and manner of its choosing, leaving open the chance of capturing, deporting or killing the Palestinian leader who has been holed up in his West Bank compound for almost two years.

The Cabinet's announcement followed the latest Palestinian suicide bombings, which killed 15 Israelis.

Israel's step provoked international condemnation, particularly from the United States, which warned the Jewish state against expelling Arafat.

Palacio said her talks with al-Sharaa focused on Israel's threat to expel Arafat, plus Iraq.

She said Syria and Spain shared some basic principles, including the role some regional players could have in Iraq's reconstruction and returning that country to its rightful place in the international community.

Al-Sharaa said Syria and Spain have identical views on Iraq, including the maintenance of its integrity and "getting rid of the foreign occupation as soon as possible."

He said both states also believed in the formation of a legitimate Iraqi government elected by Iraqi people.