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'Arabs paid heaviest price'
11/09/2002 13:21 - (SA)
Damascus - The Arabs have paid the heaviest price for September 11 while Israel has exploited the terror attacks on its US ally to the full, official newspapers in Syria said on Wednesday.
"It is no exaggeration to say the Arabs, along with the
Palestinian cause, have paid the highest price for the September 11 terrorist attacks" on New York and Washington, Tishrin said on the first anniversary.
"Although millions of Arabs expressed sympathies to the American
people who are known for their good heart and ingenuity, Israel has managed to exploit this tragedy in favour of its expansionist plans and aggression," it said.
"(Israeli Prime Minister) Ariel Sharon has managed to convince
the United States the struggle of the Palestinian people equals
terrorism, and that his fight is the same as that of (US President) George W Bush against terrorism."
The government daily said the analogy combined with
"unconditional" US support for Israel had "provoked feelings of
hostilities towards the United States" in the Arab world.
The Jewish state also "exploited the September 11 attacks to
push the United States to increase pressure on Syria for it to bow to Israel's conditions for peace", said Al-Baath, mouthpiece of Syria's ruling party.
On the day of the anniversary, it was business as usual at the
US embassy in Damascus and security apparently the same level as
over the previous 12 months, with dozens of Syrian soldiers
deployed around the building, witnesses said.
An embassy spokesperson refused to say if extra security measures
had been introduced. - Sapa-AFP
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