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Us europe warns israel not expel arafat Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://channels.netscape.com/ns/news/story.jsp?id=200309112100000271638&dt=20030911210000&w=RTR&coview= http://channels.netscape.com/ns/news/story.jsp?id=200309112100000271638&dt=20030911210000&w=RTR&coview= U.S., Europe warn Israel not to expel Arafat LONDON, Sept 11 (Reuters) - The United States, Europe and Egypt warned Israel on Thursday against carrying out a threat to expel Palestinian President Yasser Arafat as thousands of his supporters vowed to defend him. Washington said any expulsion would merely give Arafat a broader platform to operate from, while the European Union said exiling him was likely to escalate the Israel-Palestinian conflict rather than easing tensions. Word from sources close to the Israeli government that it had decided in principle to exile Arafat after a wave of suicide bombings, but would not to do so immediately, prompted defiant demonstrations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A senior Palestinian official said exiling Arafat, who told supporters gathered outside his besieged headquarters he would not budge, would destabilise the Middle East. Israel's neighbour Egypt said it could unleash violence all over the Palestinian territories. A spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, expressed "great concern" at the news. "This is precisely the moment when people should make every possible effort to avoid steps that lead to an escalation and that lead to even more tension," Cristina Gallach said. She added that it was "absolutely necessary for Israel to weigh carefully the consequences of such an action." The United States, the driving force behind a collapsing Middle East peace plan, cited different reasons, saying he would gain a greater stage to operate from outside the region. "We think it would not be helpful to expel him because it would just give him another stage to play on," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told a briefing. RED LINE Asked during a visit to Rome, whether Egypt would take Arafat as an exile, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said: "The question is not whether we would welcome him. We, like any Arab country, would welcome him. The question is another. If we talk of expelling him we are making a huge error." "Nobody can tell what would happen in the Palestinian territories if Arafat is expelled. Terrorism, violence will erupt everywhere. It would be a very dangerous situation." He was speaking shortly before the Israeli security cabinet agreed in principle that Arafat should be exiled. One source close to the cabinet said it had decided ask the army to prepare a plan for Arafat's exile from the region but not to carry out a swift expulsion because of U.S. opposition. Thousands of Palestinians marched to Arafat's West Bank headquarters in solidarity on Thursday night. "President Arafat is a red line and the whole territory will turn red if he is harmed," said a banner carried by the crowd. Thousands of Palestinians also rallied in the Gaza Strip and red tracer bullets filled the night sky. © Copyright Reuters Ltd. All rights reserved. The information contained In this news report may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of Reuters Ltd. 09/11/2003 21:00 RTR

Eu says expelling arafat terrible mistake Expelling arafat may be next move { September 12 2003 } Israel plans for event of arafats death Israel says arafat likely to be expelled { September 2 2003 } Israeli troops block entrance to arafats hq Killing arafat is option Sharon no longer bound not to harm arafat Sharon threatens killing arafat Us europe warns israel not expel arafat Us vetos un denouncing israel { September 17 2003 } Vice pm says killing arafat consideration { September 15 2003 } Files Listed: 11

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