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| Peres:Israel Not to Do Anything to Endanger U.S. Campaign |
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MON, OCT 08, 2001
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Israel would not do anything to frustrate and endanger the U.S-led campaign against Afghanistan's ruling Taliban launched yesterday evening, said Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres.
"We see ourselves as part and parcel of the campaign, and if asked, Israel will do everything necessary ," Peres added.
He may suggest that Israel would not launch major military actions against the Palestinians, who have clashed with Israel for more than a year. More than 800 people, most of them Palestinians, have been killed in the clashes.
Israel fears that another wave of attacks against the Palestinians would draw fire from Arab states and harm the U.S. efforts to isolate the Taliban.
Meanwhile, Peres said the U. S. attack on Afghanistan in retaliation for the September 11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. would not bring danger to Israel at the current stage.
Asked whether Israel might be a target as a consequence of the U.S. bombardment, Peres said: "At this stage I don't see a danger of this kind."
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's spokesman Ra'anan Gissin earlier also told a news conference that all the necessary measures have been taken to ensure the safety of Israeli citizens from whatever kind of attack may ensue.
Another spokesman for Sharon also said that Israelis "wish the president and the American people success and we will extend whatever assistance we can."
Though the unnamed spokesman emphasized that Israel was not a formal part of the operation against Afghanistan, Israel Radio reported that Israel has provided enormous intelligence to the U.S. in the past few days.
Peres confirmed that Sharon received a warning from U.S. President George W. Bush about the attack an hour before it took place. But he stressed that he did not think "they gave us or will give us operational details."
The unnamed spokesman for Sharon said Sunday evening that U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell had updated Sharon over the last three days on the timing of the assault, and that Bush had spoken to Sharon in the course of Sunday afternoon.
"It is a brave decision by the president (Bush), along with very convincing and touching speech," Peres said, obviously referring to Bush's televised speech from the White House shortly after the attack began.
"I think that all us, first of all, are praying for the welfare of the American army and its allies and for the freedom of the whole world," he added.
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