Arafat denied visa

Press, 28 November 1988, Page 8

Arafat denied visa

NZPA-Reuter Washington The United States refusal to issue the Palestinian Liberation Organisation leader, Yassir Arafat, a visa to address the United Nations has touched off angry reaction from the Arab world, including a call to shift debate on the Palestinians to Geneva. The United States Secretary of State, George Shultz, on Saturday rejected Mr Arafat’s bid for a visa, contending the United States had the right to refuse entry to the head of a group responsible for terrorist attacks against Americans. “No participant in a peace process can wave

the flag of justice in one hand and brandish the weapons of terrorism in the other,” the State Department said. “All participants must renounce violence and terrorism,” it said. Ambassador Colvis Maksud of the League of Arab States, in an interview with Reuters, said the decision “embarrasses the Arab friends of the United States” and urged that United Nations discussions on the issue be moved from New York to Geneva. He urged that “the General Assembly of the United Nations deal with this ... in another proper venue, Geneva, so that the freedom of access will be guaranteed.”

Before the visa application was turned down, Mr Arafat had said the General Assembly session should be moved. to another site if Washington rebuffed him. The P.L.O.’s alternate United Nations observer, Dr Nasser Al-Kidwa, called the rejection a clear violation of the 1947 agreement under which the United Nations was established in New York. A senior United Nations official predicted the United States action would spark a strong protest supported by many member states. It was considered unlikely, however, that the United Nations session would be moved from New York.