This may be old news, but I just noticed it....
According to the Middle East Economic Survey on Sep 30, 2002..... http://www.mees.com/news/a45n39c01.htm
Ever since Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ignored American demands to get out of the West Bank last April, the Bush administration has generally turned a blind eye to Israel's incursions into the occupied territories. But Israel's 19 September decision in the wake of two suicide bombings to occupy and progressively demolish Palestinian leader Yasir 'Arafat's headquarters in Ramallah (with Mr 'Arafat and 200 other people inside) apparently went too far even for the Americans (or came at the wrong moment), and after White House spokesman Ari Fleischer announced on 23 September that "the president views what Israel is doing now as unhelpful to the cause of bringing about reform in Palestinian institutions," the US abstained when the Security Council voted 14-0 to pass Resolution 1435 on 24 September. Inter alia, in this resolution the council:
"1. Reiterates its demand for the complete cessation of all acts of violence, including all acts of terror, provocation, incitement and destruction;
"2. Demands that Israel immediately cease measures in and around Ramallah including the destruction of Palestinian civilian and security infrastructure;
"3. Demands the expeditious withdrawal of the Israeli occupying forces from Palestinian cities towards the return to the positions held prior to September 2000;
"4. Calls on the Palestinian Authority to meet its expressed commitment to ensure that those responsible for terrorist acts are brought to justice by it."
Of course, the Palestinians might argue that it is difficult for them to arrest and try terrorists while their leadership is cut off, their security forces scattered and their infrastructure in ruins, but that did not prevent the Israelis from rejecting the resolution on the grounds that the Palestinians - who are refusing to hand over 50 militants the Israelis claim are trapped with Mr 'Arafat in Ramallah - are not fulfilling their end of the bargain. Or as Raanan Gissin, an adviser to Mr Sharon, put it on 24 September, "since the Palestinian Authority definitely is not only not arresting terrorists but actually aiding and abetting them, then it is highly unlikely that we could unilaterally fulfill our part of the resolution." It remains to be seen whether Israel's defiance of the Security Council will provoke any further reaction. If not, however, the Arabs are bound to contrast the Americans' indulgence of Israel with their insistence that Iraq be made to comply with UN resolutions, if necessary by force. Security Council Acts On Ramallah Siege
_________________________________ Steven Hertzberg