Monday August 27 9:22 AM ET

U.N. Chief Blames Israel for Raising Mideast Tension

By Tom Armitage

ST. GILGEN, Austria (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites) said Monday Israel had exacerbated the Middle East crisis and called for international action before violence spread to neighboring countries.

``The Israelis have raised tensions in the region to levels we have not seen in many years,'' Annan told reporters during an official visit to Austria.

Annan was speaking after Israel Monday assassinated Abu Ali Mustafa, the leader of the radical Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), in a helicopter missile attack on the group's offices in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Mustafa had the highest profile of anyone killed under Israel's policy of tracking and killing militants since a Palestinian uprising erupted in September.

At least 537 Palestinians, 153 Israelis and 14 Israeli Arabs have been killed since the uprising started after peace talks stalled.

Annan urged the international community to help bring the parties together for a new round of peace talks, warning that violence could spill over into the rest of the region if not controlled.

``I am worried that if we do not contain the crisis it will spread,'' he added. ``We have innocent people suffering and I think the international community has an obligation to do whatever it can to bring an end to this misery.''

KICK-START

Speaking after a meeting with Austria's Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Annan said U.N. officials would liaise with Germany's Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer to kick-start a new dialogue between Israel and Palestine.

``The killing underscores the urgency of getting them together,'' Annan said at a news conference held at the lakeside resort of St. Gilgen in northwest Austria.

``I have spoken to Foreign Minister Fischer who is trying to see what can be done to organize such a meeting...but no date has yet been fixed.''

The U.N. chief, who will meet Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel for talks Tuesday, is visiting Austria ahead of the United Nation's World Conference Against Racism, to be held in Durban, South Africa in four days' time.

Annan urged the United States not to boycott the conference, after Washington threatened to stay away over fears that Arab nations would use the forum to equate Zionism and Israel with racism and apartheid.

The United States also disagreed with African nations over planned discussions about financial compensation for the slave trade, which flourished for 200 years between Africa and the United States until early in the 19th century.

``Obviously each government has to take its own decision whether it plans to attend or not,'' Annan said, adding that disagreements over the wording of declarations to be drawn up over the week-long meeting could keep U.S. delegates away.

``There are indications that if (the United States) does not get the language they want they may not participate,'' he said. ''Efforts are being made and people are working on the language as we speak.''

-- Anonymous, August 27, 2001