The Hindu : E.U. differences persist

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 15, 2002

International

International

E.U. differences persist

By Batuk Gathani

BRUSSELS MAY 14. The 15 Foreign Ministers of the European Union member states have failed to resolve their differences over the fate of the 13 Palestinian militant exiles who have been handed over to the E.U. as a part of a deal ending the siege of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

The Ministers have yet to decide which of the member countries would take in the militants. They also have to work out the militants' legal status once they are taken in by member states.

Spain, Portugal, Greece, Ireland, Belgium and Italy have pledged to take some of the militants. However, the discussion at the Foreign Ministers' meeting also touched upon all legal and practical problems for countries wishing to accommodate the "fighters". Apart from basic security issues related to protecting them from other extremists, there are issues related to family visits and all that goes with it. This is also rated as a volatile issue in parts of the E.U.

Israel has consistently accused the E.U. of tilting towards an anti-Jewish stance in the background of the growing number of violent incidents at Jewish religious sites in major E.U. capitals. Security officials have pointed accusing fingers at Muslim militants living in the region for such attacks.

The E.U. has agreed that the Palestinian detenus will be brought to Europe from Cyprus within a week, but the member states are still bargaining hard over who will take the hard-core militants whom Israel accuses of perpetrating terrorist violence. E.U. officials are wondering whether the Palestinians should be treated as "political prisoners'' or "protection seekers''.

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