No Let-Up In Attacks On Militants, Says Sharon

By Inigo Gilmore in Jerusalem and Toby Harnden in Washington
(Filed: 16/06/2003)

Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, vowed yesterday to continue strikes against Palestinian terrorist leaders, even as President George W Bush's envoy began a mission to halt the violence.

Mr Sharon told his cabinet that he would not be deterred by criticism of "targeted killing" from the White House and was boosted by tough words from Mr Bush about the need to deal with the Islamic extremists of Hamas.

"The free world and 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 said yesterday when asked whether Israel's policy was justified.

He added: "For those of us who want peace to go forward, we must combine our efforts to prevent people like Hamas from sabotaging peace."

Mr Bush, who had previously said he was "deeply troubled" by Israeli attacks on Hamas leaders, was speaking as a team of 14, mainly CIA personnel led by a veteran diplomat, John Wolf, arrived in Israel to establish a body to monitor the implementation of the "road map" peace plan.

The White House is dismayed by how quickly Mr Bush's high-profile efforts at the Red Sea Summit in Egypt and Jordan earlier this month have been eclipsed by the deaths of more than 60 people in less than a week and is desperate for progress.

But Mr Bush seems to have decided that the first priority is to rein in Hamas. Ehud Olmert, Mr Sharon's deputy, said the "entire tone [of the White House] changed" after last week's suicide bus bombing in Jerusalem which killed 17 Israelis.

Mr Sharon was reported have told his cabinet: "Israel will continue to act against targets defined as 'ticking bombs'. If Palestinians do not act against the terror infrastructure, Israel will do so."

In the short term, Mr Wolf, whom Mr Bush said during his Middle East visit would "ride herd" and drive both sides to make painful concessions, is likely to be left on the sidelines.

With the focus on security and diplomatic developments, Jewish settlers have seized the opportunity to defy the government by erecting new outposts in the occupied West Bank.

Bush Says Hamas Must Face Harsh Treatment

Monday June 16, 2003 12:29 AM
By DEB RIECHMANN
Associated Press Writer

KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine (AP) - The world must deal harshly with the militant Palestinian group Hamas or others who try to sabotage a U.S.-backed Middle East peace plan with violence , President Bush said Sunday.

Despite renewed attacks and dozens of Israeli and Palestinian deaths since the June 4 summit to get the plan started, Bush said he was confident of eventual peace between the longtime enemies, with a Palestinian state existing in peace beside Israel. Acknowledging obstacles ahead, he pledged his administration's full support toward that goal.

``In the meantime, before that state is established, it is clear that the free world - those who love freedom and peace - must deal harshly with Hamas and the killers,'' Bush said.

Pressed on what help the administration can provide, Bush said the United States is helping Palestinian leaders complete a plan to reconstitute their security forces ``in order to make sure the terrorists, the haters of peace, those who can't stand freedom, do not have their way in the Middle East.''

Sen. Richard Lugar, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said on ``Fox News Sunday,'' the United States must weigh carefully any decision to use American forces, whether alone or with other forces.

``But clearly, if force is required ultimately to rout out terrorism, it is possible that there will be an American participation,'' the Indiana Republican said.

Bush's remarks on the Middle East, spoken as he left church, were his first on the subject since he arrived in Maine for a long Father's Day weekend with his family.

``I'm confident we can achieve peace,'' said Bush, who spoke to reporters just minutes after singing the hymn ``This is a Day of New Beginnings.'' ``It's going to be a tough road, but I am determined to continue to lend the weight of this government to advance peace.''

At a June 4 summit in Jordan with Israeli and Palestinians leaders, Bush helped initiate a plan, known as the road map, that immediately would end 32 months of violence simultaneously with moves by Israel to stop building Jewish settlements in occupied territories. The goal is the to create a Palestinian state by 2005.

Since the Jordan meeting, renewed violence - capped by a bus bombing by Hamas and a string of Israeli helicopter raids with rockets aimed at Hamas leaders - has killed 63 people, mainly civilians on both sides. The difficulty of ending the violence was made evident again Sunday in a firefight between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians in a Gaza town, in which a Palestinian was killed and seven others wounded.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said the United States should send high-level officials, such as Secretary of State Colin Powell or national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, to the Middle East to negotiate an end to the killing.

``I think that this latest road map process is going down the tubes right now,'' Feinstein said on ``CNN's Late Edition.'' ``I don't think an assistant secretary of state can pull it out.''

She was referring to Assistant Secretary of State John Wolf, head of a team of U.S. officials now in the region to supervise implementation of the road map. Wolf was to meet with Israeli officials Monday and on Tuesday with Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and his security chief, Mohammed Dahlan, Israel Radio said.

Dov Weisglass, a top aide of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, was meeting with Rice on Monday in Washington. Powell and other senior representatives of the Quartet of mediators that drew up the road map - the United States, the United Nations, Russia and the European Union - plan talks Thursday in Jordan.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.