U.N.-Israel talks on Jenin investigation suspended

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Originally published Friday, April 26, 2002

UNITED NATIONS -- The United Nations insisted Thursday that a U.N. fact-finding mission to the Jenin refugee camp will arrive in the region by Saturday, even as talks between Israel and the United Nations on the scope of the mission were suspended until this morning.

The Palestinians accuse the Israeli army of a massacre of civilians during eight days of fighting in the Jenin camp.

Israel says its army fought intense gunbattles with Palestinian gunmen, who were the main victims.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed a three-member panel of fact-finders April 19 after Israel gave a green light, saying it had "nothing to hide." But it then objected to the team's makeup and mandate and sought to delay its arrival in the region.

The secretary-general brushed aside Israel's demand for a delay and gave the go-ahead for the team and its advisers to arrive in the region Saturday.

On Thursday, Israel's U.N. ambassador Yehuda Lancry and a four-man Israeli team of experts pressed the Israeli concerns -- that the U.N. fact-finding group have more military members, that it investigate Palestinian terrorism in the Jenin camp as well as the attacks, and that the probe be limited to Jenin.

"We need some clarifications," Lancry said.

Maximum precautions

A Western diplomat said Israel is seeking the maximum precautions, but they don't want to refuse the mission.

Earlier in the day, the United Nations added two additional military officers to the U.N. fact-finding mission.

Israel has been seeking to make the mission's military adviser, retired U.S. Maj. Gen. William Nash, a full member of the team, and to add military and counter-terrorism experts.

"It was decided that Gen. Nash will be assisted by two military staff officers and more experts will be brought on board as needed," U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said.

The names and nationalities of the officers were not disclosed.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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