Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 3 May 2018
Militants attack

Libyan election

commission, 14 Killed

By RAMI MUSA United Nations and Libya's
Associated Press foreign backers are urg-
BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — Is- ing to take place this year
lamic State suicide bomb- despite security problems
ers attacked Libya's elec- in the oil-rich North African
tion commission in the country. Militants have of-
capital on Wednesday, kill- ten targeted elections in
ing at least 14 people in the other countries, and IS has
worst such attack in years called for attacks on voting
that aimed to disrupt a na- infrastructure in Libya.
tion-wide vote planned for "(It) is a clear manifestation
later this year. of everything that is wrong
The two bombers infiltrated with the current shortsight-
the building in central Trip- ed narrative of fake se- A police officer investigates damages at Libya's high national elections commission in Tripoli after
oli and fired on people in- curity and 'progress,'" said a suicide bombing Wednesday, May 2, 2018.
side, then detonated their Hanan Salah of Human Associated Press
explosives when their am- Rights Watch in a post on
munition ran out, IS said in social media. Her group undermine stability in Libya and is now split between and will provide observers
a statement circulated by has underlined how elec- as it heads toward the gen- rival governments, each and electoral assistance
its affiliated Amaq news tions will be difficult while eral election later this year. backed by an array of mi- to ensure the voting is free
agency. The Health Minis- Libya remains dominated The U.N. mission to Libya litias. and fair.
try earlier said the attack by a patchwork of armed said that violence "will not A U.N.-backed govern- In a joint statement follow-
also set fire to the building, groups who continue ex- deter Libyans from moving ment is based in Tripoli, ing a meeting in Cairo on
which could be seen in on- tra-judicial killings, property forward in the process of which in recent years hasn't Monday, the European
line videos showing thick confiscation, forced disap- establishing national unity seen such brazen attacks. Union, the African Union,
black smoke billowing up- pearances, arbitrary de- and the rule of law and in- Earlier this week, the inter- the Arab League and the
ward and security forces tention and torture. stitutions." national Quartet trying to United Nations said Libyans
engaging in a gun battle. Foreign embassies, observ- Libya was plunged into help bring order to Libya must commit in advance to
IS and other Islamic extrem- ers and other institutions chaos following the 2011 said it supports holding respect and abide by the
ists in Libya oppose demo- promptly condemned the uprising that toppled and presidential and parlia- results and avoid violence
cratic elections, which the attack as an attempt to killed Moammar Gadhafi, mentary elections this year, or intimidation.q

Palestinian leader's speech

condemned as anti-Semitic

nections to the Holy Land. salem stands in contrast to rant.
The Yad Vashem Holo- reality," he said. Israeli Prime Minister Ben-
caust memorial said in a The U.S. ambassador to Is- jamin Netanyahu said Ab-
statement that Abbas' rael lashed out at Abbas bas' remarks were "the pin-
speech was "replete with over his remarks. nacle of ignorance" and
antisemitic tropes and dis- "Abu Mazen has reached that the Palestinian leader
tortions of historical facts" a new low," Ambassador was "again reciting the
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaks during a meet- and accused the Palestin- David Friedman tweeted, most disgraceful anti-Se-
ing of the Palestinian National Council at his headquarters in ian president of "blatantly referring to Abbas by his mitic slogans."
the West Bank city of Ramallah, Monday, April 30, 2018. falsifying history to the nickname. "To all those The European Union said in
point of accusing the Jew- who think Israel is the rea- a statement that the Pal-
By IAN DEITCH tinian President Mahmoud ish victims as being respon- son that we don't have estinian president's speech
JERUSALEM (AP) — Remarks Abbas said it was the Jews' sible for their own murder." peace, think again." "contained unacceptable
by the Palestinian presi- "social function," includ- The U.N.'s special coordi- The rhetoric reflects the es- remarks concerning the or-
dent about the causes of ing money lending that nator for the Middle East calating tensions between igins of the Holocaust and
20th century anti-Semitism caused animosity toward peace process, Nickolay the Palestinians and the Israel's legitimacy."
in Europe were sharply them in Europe. He also Mladenov, said in a state- Trump administration. Ties Abbas' office declined to
criticized as anti-Semitic portrayed the creation of ment that "leaders have have been strained since comment.
and drew widespread Israel as a European colo- an obligation to confront Trump recognized Jerusa- Israel's Ambassador to the
condemnations from Israel nial project, saying "history anti-Semitism everywhere lem as Israel's capital last United Nations Danny Dan-
and around the world on tells us there is no basis for and always, not perpetu- year, prompting the Pales- on sent a letter to the U.N.
Wednesday. the Jewish homeland." ate the conspiracy theo- tinians to suspend contacts Security Council demand-
In rambling remarks that The comments drew criti- ries that fuel it." with the administration. ing condemnation of Ab-
were part of a lengthy cism that Abbas perpetu- "Denying the historic and Friedman and Abbas have bas' remarks and accusing
speech to the Palestine Lib- ated anti-Semitic stereo- religious connection of the sparred before. In March, the Palestinian president of
eration Organization par- types and ignored the Jewish people to the land Abbas called Friedman a trying to rewrite history with
liament on Monday, Pales- deep Jewish historical con- and their holy sites in Jeru- "son of a dog" in an angry conspiracy theories.q