Dangerous Spiral
The world had better step in to end the senseless cycle of violence in the Middle East.

         New Delhi - October 7, 2003 - The suicide bombing attack in Haifa, killing 19 and wounding 50 Israeli Jews and Arabs is a crime against humanity. Similarly, the Israeli air strike against Syria is also a clear crime against the UN Charter. The UN Security Council must take cognizance of both acts of terror. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder is right in saying that the air strike deep into Syria would make the "peace process more complicated", especially since the "sovereignty of a country is violated". France has termed the Israeli strike as an "unacceptable violation of international law and sovereignty rules." Both Israel and the Palestinians must recognize that continuing on the downward spiral of violence is unlikely to achieve peace for them. What the innocents of the region require is statesmanship by the leadership on both sides which seems to have been in short supply. The US is the only country with the power and influence to press them to move toward the road map that it had tried to craft. The international community should take a more active interest in resolving the problems. Syria claims that even the political offices of the Islamic Jihad on its soil have been closed down. More important, photographic and other evidence that formed the basis for the strike should be available; and this can easily be compared with the realities on the ground. Israelis and Syrians would be well advised to place all evidence before the international community to establish their respective claims.

The Indian Express - October 7, 2003