P.L.O. raps terrorism

Press, 25 February 1983, Page 8

P.L.O. raps terrorism

NZPA-Reuter Algiers - The Palestine Liberation Organisation’s parliament-in-exile has strongly condemned terrorism in a move which may help improve ties with European States. A resolution adopted by the policy-making Palestine National Council which wound up a nine-day meeting in Algiers yesterday, said: "The P.N.C." strongly condemns terrorism and* international terrorism headed by official American-Israeli terrorism directed at the Palestinian people. the

P.L.0.. the Lebanese people, the Arab nation and other world liberation movements." The resolution passed without debate. P.L.O. observers said that the statement. although coupled to an attack on the United States and Israel, was the clearest rejection of terrorism that could be expected from the P.L.O. They noted that a renunciation of terrorism was a condition originally set by Britain for a meeting between Mrs Margaret

Thatcher and a seven-man Arab League team including a P.L.O. official, according to Arab League sources. The P.L.O. had rejected the condition. The team was due to visit London to promote an Arab Middle East peace plan, and its trip has been repeatedly postponed. A number of resolutions adopted by the P.N.C. spoke of escalating the P.L.O.'s armed struggle against Israel, but P.L.O. observers interpreted these as referring to attacks on military targets.