5 October 2003, ASEAN Summit, Bali, Indonesia – On the eve of the 9th Summit meeting of the ASEAN here in Bali, Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople said that the attack today by Israel against Syria is deeply regrettable.  The Secretary also said that he hopes there would be no escalation of violence as a result of this attack.

“There has been an uneasy calm between Syria and Israel and for twenty years but there has been no such attack against Syria.  It is deeply regrettable that Israel decided to launch this attack,” the Secretary said.

“I can understand the outrage that Syria and other countries must surely feel over this attack.  But we would like to appeal to Syria not to do anything that might start a new cycle of cross-border violence in the Middle East,” the Secretary said.  He added that Syria and Israel should resolve this specific incident peacefully and if necessary, with the help of international institutions.

Israeli warplanes attacked a Palestinian “terrorist training base” today inside Syria in response to Saturday’s suicide attack in the northern port city of Haifa.  The Israeli army claims that the Syrian Government supports terrorism and gives “capital and cover in its territory to terror organizations that act against Israeli citizens”.

“The accusations against Syria are serious.  No state should harbor terrorists,” the Secretary said, though adding, “We welcome Syria’s official position that it does not allow terrorists to use its territory.  Perhaps Syria should do more in terms of fighting international terrorism to give emphasis to its official
position.”

“But we strongly feel that Israel’s attack against Syria was unnecessary, unfortunate and certainly difficult to justify.  We hope that Israel will refrain from similar actions in the future.  These acts of violence would only make the search for peace in the Middle East even more complicated,” the Secretary said. END.