Bush 'Deeply Troubled' by Israeli Strike

AP ^ | 06/10/03 | SCOTT LINDLAW

[Pokey78]

WASHINGTON - President Bush scolded Israel on Tuesday for a helicopter attack on a senior Hamas leader that killed a bystander and a bodyguard, warning that such a strike "does not contribute to the security of Israel."

The strike came less than a week after Bush launched the "road map" toward Middle East peace he helped craft at a summit with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas.

"The president is deeply troubled by the strike of helicopter gunships that reportedly killed at least two persons and wounded 20 others," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said. "The president is concerned that this strike will undermine efforts by Palestinian authorities to bring an end to terrorist attacks, and it does not contribute to the security of Israel."

Abbas denounced the helicopter strike as a "criminal and terrorist" Israeli attack, and asked the United States to intervene.

Bush said after the summit in Aqaba, Jordan, last week that he would seek to keep the parties on the path to peace if he saw them straying. The prepared statement issued from Fleischer's lectern seemed to be in keeping with that.

"What's important in this new environment is for Palestinians and Israelis to find ways to work together on the path to peace," Fleischer said. "This is going to require both the Palestinian Authority and Israel to find new ways to protect the road map so it can advance to face terrorism."

"In looking at the progress that must be made for the road map and looking at this attack, the president is deeply troubled by it," Fleischer said.

The White House has often tempered such warnings to Israel by emphasizing that "Israel has a right to defend itself," and Fleischer repeated that language Tuesday.

But, he added: "Israel has to act on that right in a manner that is consistent with larger objectives, and in this case the president views this as deeply troubling."

In the attack Tuesday, Israeli helicopters fired missiles at a car carrying Abdel Aziz Rantisi, the most high-profile political leader of the Islamic militant group Hamas to be targeted by Israel in 32 months of fighting. Rantisi said he jumped out of his car when he heard the choppers overhead. He was injured and underwent surgery.

After the attack, Hamas threatened revenge "that will be like an earthquake."

"We will continue with our holy war and resistance until every last criminal Zionist is evicted from this land," Rantisi told the Arab TV satellite station Al-Jazeera from his hospital bed.

Abbas accused Israel of trying to destroy the "road map" plan to get out of its commitments.

At the same time, Israeli troops dismantled 10 tiny, uninhabited settlement outposts in the West Bank overnight, in line with the first requirements of the peace plan.

But the road map also says Israel must refrain from actions that undermine trust. It does not specifically rule out the targeted killings of Palestinian militants.

Israel said after its acceptance of the plan last month that it would from now on reserve the practice of targeted killings to "ticking bomb" scenarios, as a last means of preventing attacks on Israelis.

[dennisw]

When you let your emotions run wild, any hope for rational, logical and sensiable debate disappears immediately. In the last few days, I've told you and several others, to keep your emotions in check.

You're the cold fish who writes off the murder of 16 Israelis yesterday. You want some ******* collateral damage? Give me a count on the bus bombings. No comparison between that and an Israeli rocket attack to kill a Hamas killer. And before the head freak of Hamas, Rantissi, was targeted there was terrorism killing many Jews in the previous two weeks.

There are no bargains and peace treaties with Islamics. This is what you are oblivious to. You factor in Islamic demographics and there is zero chance of them honoring any peace of paper GWBush and "The Quartet" force Israel to sign. But then what do you care? Your agenda is to support everything GWBush does, right or wrong.

[Reagan Man]

LOL I feel like I'm a kindergarden teacher trying to control an unruly class of children. Grow up and control your emotions. Better yet, find someone else to take your frustrations out on. And stop making me the target for your abusive rhetoric. I'm not your enemy.

If you have that much anger and strong desire to help Israel out, go over to the ME and join the IDF. Then you'll be able to kill all the Islamic terrorrists and Palestinians you want. While you're at it, take your buddies with you.