International

“A serious breach of the right of Europe's oldest human rights organisation to invite people who could do useful work for us.” This was SP Senator Tiny Kox's description of the refusal by the European Union of a visa to the Palestinian parliamentary delegation invited to a meeting of the Council of Europe. The delegation would have participated in a tripartite forum of Israeli, Palestinian and European parliamentarians by means of which the Council of Europe intended to offer its support to restarting the currently stalled peace process.

SP Foreign Affairs spokesman Harry van Bommel has asked Foreign Minster Ben Bot to give his view of the article "The Iran Plans” published in this week's New Yorker magazine. According to the author, respected journalist Seymour Hersch, the United States government is giving serious consideration to the possibility of attacking Iran with tactical nuclear weapons. The weapons would be used to destroy strongly defended underground bunkers.