Fear and widespread condemnation for the assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin
The following are some comments of various international leaders on the assassination of the Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin
UNITED NATIONS - The UN secretary general, Kofi Annan: "I do condemn the targeted assassination of Ahmed Yassin and the others who died with him. Such actions are not only contrary to international law but they do not help the search for a peaceful solution".
UNITED STATES - Condoleezza Rice, National Security Adviser: "Let's remember Hamas is a terrorist organisation and Sheikh Yassin has himself, we believe, been involved in terrorist planning". Scott McClellan, a White House spokesman: "We are deeply troubled by this morning's actions in Gaza".
EUROPEAN UNION - Javier Solana, EU foreign policy chief: "This is very bad news for the peace process". EU foreign ministers' joint statement: "Not only are extra-judicial killings contrary to international law, they undermine the concept of the rule of law which is a key element in the fight against terrorism".
EGYPT - President Hosni Mubarak: "With this act we have aborted the peace process today. It will have big effects on the region".
JORDAN - King Abdullah II: "We are pained by what happened despite our persistent efforts with all sides, including the Israeli government, to refrain from its policy of military escalation".
SYRIA - President Bashar Assad: "This is the climax of terrorism that Israel is continuously practising".
LEBANON - Rafik Hariri, Prime Minister: "[The assasination] will push the region into a new cycle of violence and terrorism and undermine any hope for achieving peace in the Middle East."
IRAN - President Mohammed Khatami: "The heinous crime reflects a cowardly behaviour of the occupying Israeli regime as well as its fear of Palestinian resistance, which is centred on their religious faith".
KUWAIT - Mohammed al-Saqer, head of the foreign affairs committee in Parliament, : "They [Israelis] say that Hamas is a terrorist organisation, but the truth is that Israel is a terrorist state."SOUTH AFRICA Government statement: "Extra judicial assassinations are in contravention of international law [and] strengthen those not committed to achieving peace in the Middle East".
SUDAN - Hassan Turabi, Sudanese Islamic leader: "I think that this will put pressure on the Arab governments that have so far let down the Palestinian cause".
CHINA - Kong Quan, foreign ministry spokesman: "We are deeply worried about the impact on the region. We are watching the development of the situation."AUSTRALIA - A spokesman for the Foreign Minister Alexander Downer: "We would urge calm on both sides to try and prevent any further decline into violence in that region."
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12/02/2016 15:14
