Talks on to salvage Durban meet

DURBAN, SEPT. 4. South African and European officials began negotiations on Tuesday to salvage the world racism conference following a U.S. and Israeli walkout over Arab efforts to condemn Israel for its ``practices of racial discrimination''.

Both countries had warned they would pull out if language in a final declaration singled Israel out for criticism. When a Norwegian compromise was rejected by Arab delegations on Monday, the close allies decided to go home, accusing Arab nations of hijacking the conference as a platform to embarrass the Jewish state.

The conference had been envisioned as a constructive forum to develop a plan to combat discrimination.

In an effort to reach a compromise, the European Union, the Arab League and South Africa held a meeting which lasted until early today, said Mr. Olivier Alsteens, spokesman for the Belgian Foreign Minister, Mr. Louis Michel, who represented the E.U. at the meeting. In a statement released here on Monday evening, the U.S. Secretary of State, Gen. Colin Powell, who remained in Washington, denounced the draft declaration's ``hateful language'' and said he was recalling the delegation. ``I have taken this decision with regret because of the importance of the international fight against racism and the contribution that this conference could have made to it,'' the statement said.

The U.N. Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, called the U.S. withdrawal ``unfortunate.''

Jewish delegations at the conference were pulling out as well, according to Mr. Shimon Samuels, an official with the Simon Wiesenthal Centre and chair of the Jewish caucus.

The European Union said it had no current plans to leave the conference, but if it did, it would be as a bloc, along with the E.U.'s 13 member-states.

The draft document recognised with ``deep concern the increase of racist practices of Zionism,'' and said Zionism ``is based on racial superiority.''

The Palestinian Ambassador, Mr. Salman el Herfi, said the Arab delegations had been very reasonable, but the U.S. delegation had refused to compromise, and he accused the U.S. of pulling out because of its own refusal to own responsibility for slavery and the injustices done to native Americans.

Mr. Alan Baker, an Israeli delegate, said Norway had proposed ``very general language'' that would call on all parties in West Asia to end the violence and return to negotiations. Participants have complained that the West Asia dispute has overshadowed other important issues.

Outside the conference centre, chants of ``Reparations Now'' mixed with native American drumming and singing, as about 200 demonstrators from a wide range of groups tried to make their voices heard.

United States: in or out?

By M. S. Prabhakara

DURBAN, SEPT. 4. The United States has not withdrawn from the World Conference Against Racism (WCAR). The U.S. flag at the conference has not been taken down. The U.S. Consul-General in Durban will continue to represent his country at the WCAR, not as an observer but as a delegate.

This clarification on the withdrawal of the U.S. and Israel from the WCAR came from the WCAR Secretary-General, Ms. Mary Robinson, at a media briefing here this afternoon. She said the U.S. Ambassador to South Africa had explained that only the U.S. delegation which had come from Washington had returned home, on the instruction of the Secretary of State; but that the U.S. itself continued to be represented at the conference. The position on Israel, Ms. Robinson said, could be clarified when a Israeli representative addressed the media later.

(According to an AP report, Ms. Judy Moon, spokeswoman for the delegation, said the U.S. had completely withdrawn from the conference, and that Mr. Craig Kuehl, U.S. Consul-General, would be observing it, not as a delegate, but in his role as the official responsible for reporting on events in Durban.)

Many of the problems the conference was facing, Ms. Robinson said, were related to the fact that this was the first world conference against racism where civil society structures had taken part in such large numbers. Applauding such active participation, Ms. Robinson, however, said she was distressed by the ``inappropriate'' and ``vitriolic'' words that remained in the final declaration of the NGO Forum. She was particularly critical of the NGO Declaration's formulations on ``genocide''.

India unhappy

PTI reports from New Delhi:

India today joined other participants in expressing regret at the withdrawal of the U.S. and Israel from the international meet. ``All participating countries including India have expressed regret over the decision of the U.S. and Israel to withdraw,'' an External Affairs Ministry spokesperson said.

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