Call for restraint in Middle East

Monday, 6 October 2003 12:00 AM

The US has urged the Israeli authorities to exercise restraint following an attack on Syrian territory.

President George W Bush telephoned Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon after the raid.

The raid was a revenge attack following the suicide bombing of a restaurant in Haifa on Saturday, which killed 19 Israelis.

President Bush stressed the need to "avoid heightened tension in the region at this time," Ken Lesius, a White House spokesman, explained.

The US ambassador to the United Nations John Negroponte urged an emergency meeting of the Security Council to think carefully about the consequences of their actions, particularly Syria, but did not actively criticise Israel's actions, unlike the majority of council members.

Syria called for a vote on a draft resolution condemning Israel's "military aggression", but the meeting was adjourned without a vote.

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has appointed an emergency cabinet amid new Israeli threats to expel him following the suicide bombing.

Prime Minister-designate Ahmed Qurei said the cabinet would attempt to "assert control over security".

Syria and Israel are long-standing enemies, and remain technically at war over Israel's occupation and illegal annexation of the Golan Heights region.

Israel claimed the air raid was targeted at a training camp for Palestinian militants near Damascus.

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