Bush reaffirms ‘road map’
US President George W. Bush said yesterday he had not lost hope of realising the imperilled ‘road map’ for peace in the Middle East and called on Palestinians to condemn terrorism.
Mr. Bush made the exhortation after visiting a local church in Maine. His words came as terrorist group Hamas killed 17 civilians in a bus explosion last week.
Israel’s thirst for retribution was swift, with helicopter attacks pinpointing Hamas leaders. In total, 63 have been killed on both sides.
Mr. Bush stopped short of directly pledging funds to aid the Palestinian Authority but said the US was backing a strategy for assisting Palestinian security forces to isolate and punish ‘haters of peace.’
Mr. Bush said: ‘I’m confident we can achieve peace. It’s going to be a tough road, but I am determined to continue to lend the weight of this government to advance peace.
Reiterating the long-term goal of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine question, he said the US would work hard to expose those opposed to the mutually respectful co-existence.
‘It is clear that the free world, those who love freedom and peace must deal harshly with Hamas and the killers. And that’s just the way it is in the Middle East.’
Mr. Bush expressed hope that US officials now in the region to supervise implementation of the road map would finally begin to cement long-term peace.
Leader of the team, Assistant Secretary of State John Wolf, is expected to meet Israeli officials today and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and security chief, Mohammed Dahlan, on Tuesday.
