04/13/2002
EDITORIAL NUMBER=0-09821

BUSH ON MIDEAST TERROR

On April 12^th, Israel was hit by still another murderous act of terrorism. A suicide bomber, reportedly a young Palestinian woman, killed at least six Israelis and wounded scores of others in Jerusalem. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, on a visit to Israel, said, "I condemn the terrorists for this act. It illustrates the dangerous situation that exists here."

President George W. Bush has said that, "No nation can negotiate with terrorists. For there is no way to make peace with those whose only goal is death. . . . All states," said President Bush, "must keep their promise, made in a vote in the United Nations, to actively oppose terror in all its forms. No nation can pick and choose its terrorist friends." Mr. Bush called "on the Palestinian Authority and all governments in the region to do everything in their power to stop terrorist activities, to disrupt terrorist financing, and to stop inciting violence by glorifying terror in state-owned media, or telling suicide bombers they are martyrs. They’re not martyrs," said Mr. Bush. "They’re murderers. And they undermine the cause of the Palestinian people."

President Bush said, "Those governments, like Iraq, that reward parents for the sacrifice of their children are guilty of soliciting murder of the worst kind. All who care about the Palestinian people should join in condemning and acting against groups like [the] Al-Aqsa [Martyrs Brigades], Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and all groups which oppose the peace process and seek the destruction of Israel."

"Israel," said President Bush, "is facing a terrible and serious challenge. . . . [I]t has acted to root out terrorist nests. America recognizes Israel’s right to defend itself from terror. Yet, to lay the foundations of future peace, I ask Israel to halt incursions into Palestinian-controlled areas and begin the withdrawal from those cities it has recently occupied." Last week, Israel said it had begun to withdraw from Tulkarem [tul-KAR-em] and Qalqilya [kal-KILL-ee-yah].

"The world," said President Bush, "expects an immediate cease-fire, immediate resumption of security cooperation with Israel against terrorism, an immediate order to crack down on terrorist networks."