International

Israel keeps its word: U.S.

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON APRIL 18. The U.S. President, George W. Bush, said that Israel was keeping its withdrawal promise and once again called on the Palestinian Leader,Yasser Arafat, to crack down on terrorists.

"Mr.Arafat did condemn terrorism and now we will hold him into account'', the President remarked. Mr.Bush attended a meeting with his just returned Secretary of State from West Asia, Colin Powell.

Also present in this session were the Vice-President, Dick Cheney and the National Security Adviser, Condoleezza Rice.

Mr.Bush did not subscribe to the view that Gen. Powell's mission was a failure. Putting a positive spin to the mission, the President argued that his Secretary's mission did in fact lay out the "framework and path'' to achieve peace.

The President, in praising the Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as a man of peace and acting in good faith, argued that he understood why Israel wanted to keep troops in Ramallah and Bethlehem.The Israelis say that at least five people wanted in the killing of a Cabinet official are holed up in Mr.Arafat's headquarters in Ramallah. "These people are accused of killing a Cabinet official of the Israeli Government. I can understand Mr.Sharon wants them brought to justice.They should be brought to justice if they killed a man in cold blood'', Mr.Bush said.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Former king returns home
• Powell mission not a failure, says Bush
• French election turns abusive
• Dutch army chief steps down
• Trumped up charges: Pak.
• Israel withdraws partly from Jenin camp
• U.K. Jews fear 'backlash'
• LTTE-Govt. talks likely in June
• Kashmiris call for three-way dialogue
• Ties with CIS top priority, says Putin
• Terrorism: U.S. not happy with China
• Will court ruling affect Benazir's poll prospects?
• PPP complains to U.N. official against referendum move
• 5 Pakistanis questioned in Paris
• Israel keeps its word: U.S.

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu