USA: U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN MEETS NEW ISRAELI DEFENCE MINISTER GENERAL SHAUL MOFAZ

Record ID: 645774

  • Title: USA: U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN MEETS NEW ISRAELI DEFENCE MINISTER GENERAL SHAUL MOFAZ
  • Date: 18th December 2002
  • Summary: (U7) NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (FILE) (REUTERS) SLV UNITED NATIONS
  • Embargoed: 2nd January 2003 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES / UNITED NATIONS
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA2HRXG6UUJWBS8F6N6UV2TFE8X
  • Story Text: U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan told Israel's new defence minister on Monday he expected a "rigorous investigation" into the killings of U.N. staff in the West Bank and Gaza.
    Israeli Defence Minister Gen. Shaul Mofaz began his first official visit to the United States with a meeting with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, where he promised an investigation into the killings of U.N. staff in the West Bank and Gaza.
    Annan, according to a statement from his office, stressed the need to ensure security and improved access for humanitarian personnel, especially the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, known as UNRWA.
    Briton Iain Hook, 54, was fatally shot by Israeli soldiers last month in the West Bank city of Jenin and two more UNRWA staff, including a school teacher, were killed in Gaza last week.
    An Israeli official said Mofaz, who had requested the meeting, briefed Annan on the security situation in Israel and "the ongoing war against terrorism for the last two years" as well as the investigation into the UNRWA shootings.
    Mofaz also brought up Iranian involvement in helping Hizbollah guerrillas in Lebanon acquire missiles and other weapons but "there were no surprises as positions on both sides were well known," the official said.
    Israeli army radio quoted him as saying that Israel may be compelled to retaliate if Hizbollah fires long-range missiles at Israel. He told the radio in an interview that Syria, the power broker in Lebanon, had allowed the guerrillas to deploy hundreds of missiles that could hit Israeli cities.
    On humanitarian assistance, Mofaz gave Annan some written materials concerning a report by Catherine Bertini, former head of the World Food Program, who reported in September that Israel needed to do much more in easing conditions to Palestinians to arrest sharply declining living standards.
    Annan, in his statement, said that he welcomed the Israeli government's recent transfer of some $28 million in tax revenues to the Palestinian authorities but he said "other practical steps" were needed to alleviate the crisis.
    Mofaz, a former army chief, is a staunch nationalist and at times has appeared more hawkish than Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in his attitude towards the Palestinians. Participants in the meeting said the exchange with Annan was cordial and covered nearly every issue in the Middle East crisis.
    Mofaz then went to Washington for talks on Iraq with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Colin Powell and national security adviser Condoleezza Rice.
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