http://www.nandotimes.com/noframes/story/0,2107,500148563-500180141-500729335-0,00.html

Iranian leader calls for end of Israel

Copyright ) 1999 Nando Media

Copyright ) 1999 Agence France-Press

From Time to Time: Nando's in-depth look at the 20th century

TEHRAN (December 31, 1999 5:30 a.m. EST http://www.nandotimes.com) -

Calling for the dismantling of the Jewish state, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday categorically rejected any peace or compromise with arch-enemy Israel.

Khamenei said there was "only one solution" to the Middle East conflict and that was the "dissolution" of the state of Israel and the declaration of a Palestinian state.

Most of the Arab world has never recognized Israel, which has been an independent nation since 1948.

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-- Hokie (Hokie_@hotmail.com), December 31, 1999

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http://www.nandotimes.com/noframes/story/0,2107,500148424-500179817- 500725528-0,00.html

Christian-Muslim clash kills hundreds in Spice Islands Copyright ) 1999 Nando Media Copyright ) 1999 Associated Press

From Time to Time: Nando's in-depth look at the 20th century

By SLOBODAN LEKIC

JAKARTA, Indonesia (December 30, 1999 5:14 p.m. EST http://www.nandotimes.com) - More than 320 people died this week in clashes between Christians and Muslims in the Spice Islands in the worst outbreak of religious violence in Indonesia in living memory, officials said Thursday.

Christian leaders renewed calls to the United Nations to send in peacekeepers to prevent a full-scaled religious war, expressing fears that security forces will be unable to quell the escalating combat.

Though the archipelago has been plagued by violence in recent months, as several provinces seek independence from Indonesia, this week's carnage is the worst of any religious conflict in the republic's 50- year history.

The bloody feud bodes ill for efforts by Indonesia's new President Abdurrahman Wahid to keep this ethnically and religiously diverse nation of 210 million people from fragmenting.

Lt. Col. Iwa Budiman, a spokesman for the local military command, said in three days of clashes in the Spice Islands, 250 people had been killed on Halmahera island in North Maluku province, 1,700 miles northeast of Jakarta. Another 74 people have died in fighting since late Sunday in the neighboring province of Maluku, he said.

This week's combined death toll is the highest in a year of savage sectarian fighting in the two provinces. Before the latest week's bloodshed, government statistics put the number of deaths sparked by religious clashes at about 800 for the year.

Following East Timor's successful vote for independence on Aug. 30, anti-independence militias backed by Indonesia's army went on a campaign of looting, burning and killing. But most of the violence there was not believed to be motivated by religious hatred.

Clashes in Maluku and North Maluku eased somewhat Thursday, although tensions remained high throughout the archipelagic provinces.

"The United Nations must intervene to separate and protect the two communities and ensure peace," said Chris Sahetopy, a Christian member of the provincial assembly.

The humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders said health conditions were rapidly deteriorating because of the fighting. In a statement released in New York, it said medical supplies cannot be delivered, people in need of care are trapped in areas controlled by the other religion and health staff are afraid to cross religious lines.

"As the situation deteriorates, more people will die as they are left without care," said Richard Rowat, a group official in Ambon. "The risks are getting bigger that children will die of curable diseases as the parents cannot get access to health care."

Although 90 percent of Indonesia's people are Muslims, Christians are a majority in the Spice Islands, also known as the Moluccas.

Military commanders have warned that the opposing factions are arming themselves with assault rifles, and have urged that martial law be imposed.

But Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid, an influential Muslim leader who preaches inter-religious tolerance, on Wednesday rejected calls for a state of emergency. He has also ruled out foreign intervention.

In a strongly worded editorial Thursday, The Jakarta Post blasted Wahid's hands-off approach, saying the government's "laid-back attitude has contributed to the escalation of the violence."

Although the Moluccas used to be touted as a model of interfaith relations, tensions date back to 1950 when the Christians - many with ties to the Dutch colonial administration - battled Indonesian troops in a bid to secede.

More recently, animosity between the two groups has been stoked by an influx of Muslim migrants who have taken over the retail and transport businesses, formerly dominated by Christians.

-- Hokie (Hokie_@hotmail.com), December 31, 1999.

http://www.irna.com/newshtm/eng/10143703.htm

thr 035 qods day-leader-4 tehran thepalestinians." the leader also called on the palestinians not to vest any hope in the so-called peace talks with israel. "peace is only a ploy by the zionists to prepare for their future aggressions... "peace is very good, but where and with who? someone has entered your house forcefully, occupied your residence, insulted your family and now talks about peace," the leader ridiculed israel for its peace claims. "the zionist regime has been founded on bullying, violence and cruelty and proceed on this very basis." from economic point of view, he said, israel is also a threat to the region. the zionists want to create a so-called "new middle east" with israel dominating the region economically. "they aim to gradually dominate the arab countries in the region economically and then the oil rich regions in the persian gulf. some of the (arab) governments too, are ignorant (of this fact). when you object to them, they say `we have not established relations but allowed their businessmen to be present.' that is exactly what they want..." ks/ks more ::irna 31/12/99 14:37

-- Hokie (Hokie_@hotmail.com), December 31, 1999.

http://www.irna.com/newshtm/eng/10142402.htm

thr 034 qods day-leader-3 tehran decadesago. the leader also lashed out at the u.s., certain western countries and international human rights organizations for turning a blind eye to the atrocities committed by the zionist regime. "it is strange that the human rights organizations are dead. the americans and some westerners who claim to have the mission to promote democracy in the world, have disgraced themselves in this issue. because there exists a nation who has no power of influence whatsoever regarding the state affairs and no one would listen to them." the leader said that from security point of view, the question of palestine is a threat against the entire region. "israel is now in possession of nuclear arsenals and continues to produce (weapons). it has not heeded the warnings of the united nations either, mainly because of the u.s. support (for israel). the american regime is mainly to blame for the crimes of the zionists and the usurper state (of israel)." over the past 50 years that the zionists have been in power, ayatollah khamenei stated, the u.s. has vetoed 29 resolutions issued against israel at the u.n. security council. furthermore, he said, over the past decade since the disintegration of the former soviet union (1990), the u.s. has not allowed the security council to raise any resolution against israel. "the united states which appears in peace loving guises and sometimes shows its poisonous smiles to all world nations, including the innocent iranian people, is the number one culprit in the palestine issue. the hands of the united states are fully stained with the bloods of the palestinians." ks/ks more ::irna 31/12/99 14:24

-- Hokie (Hokie_@hotmail.com), December 31, 1999.