Stopped short of specifically calling on Abbas to dismantle Hamas. Bush
Photo: AP
Bush pressures Palestinians after pullout
U.S. president says during weekly radio address, “we demand an end to terrorism and violence in every form because we know that progress depends on ending terror.’ Palestinian officials in Washington said White House understands Abbas and his security forces would need more time to prepare for any push to disarm the militants
President George W. Bush put pressure on the Palestinians Saturday to respond to the Israeli pullout from Gaza and portions of the West Bank by cracking down on terrorism.
"Now that Israel has withdrawn, the way forward is clear. The Palestinians must show the world that they will fight terrorism and govern in a peaceful way," Bush said.
PA Feels the Heat
By Yitzhak Benhorin
U.S. President tells reporters in Idaho, ‘Abbas has made a commitment to fight off the violence because he understands a democracy can't exist with terrorist groups trying to take the law into their own hands’; says Israel’s disengagement from Gaza ‘has really changed the dynamics on the ground and has provided hope for the Palestinian people’
"We demand an end to terrorism and violence in every form because we know that progress depends on ending terror," Bush added in his weekly radio address.
He stopped short of specifically calling on Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to dismantle Hamas and other groups, and Palestinian officials in Washington said the White House understood Abbas and his security forces would need more time to prepare for any push to disarm the terrorists.
The top Palestinian official in Washington, Hasan Abdel Rahman, said the Palestinian Authority "needs time and I think it's wise to allow President Abbas to achieve that objective on his own terms."
Edward Abington, an adviser to the PA in the United States and a former U.S. Consul in Jerusalem, said it was U.S. Security coordinator Lt. Gen. William Ward's "Judgment that PA capabilities are limited and it's going to take time to rebuild it."
"It's not realistic that the PA can go in to disarm the groups at this time. It's not something they (U.S. Officials) expect to happen any time soon," Abington said.
Reviving the Road Map?
American officials said they were counting on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's removal of 25 settlements to kick-start the "Road Map" peace process for establishing a viable Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza.
Bush said this week he wanted the Israelis and the Palestinians to return to the "Road Map," but that "In order for this process to go forward," steps must be taken to increase confidence on both sides.
He said the next step after Israel's withdrawal would be establishing a working Palestinian government in Gaza and consolidating Palestinian security forces.
The United States would help the Palestinians in Gaza to prepare for self-government and "To defeat the terrorists who attack Israel and oppose the establishment of a peaceful Palestinian state," he said.
Bush praised Sharon for taking the "painful step" of withdrawing settlers, and said the United States remains "fully committed to defending the security and well-being of our friend and ally Israel."
Palestinians want Israel to hand over all of the West Bank and Arab East Jerusalem for their capital. But Sharon has vowed to keep all of Jerusalem and large West Bank settlements.
