The Hindu : Bush likely to meet Abbas, Sharon

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 25, 2003

International

International

Bush likely to meet Abbas, Sharon

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

Washington May 24. In what could be construed as significant initial comments that have a tremendous bearing on the West Asia peace process, the U.S. President, George W Bush, has said that he is considering a meeting with the Prime Ministers of Israel and Palestine if this would help move the process towards creating a Palestinian state.

In the course of a press conference, Mr. Bush said that he was "exploring the opportunities'' for a meeting with Ariel Sahron of Israel and Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine.

"If a meeting advances progress toward two states living side by side in peace, I will strongly consider such a meeting,'' Mr. Bush told reporters in Crawford, Texas.''I am committed working toward peace in the Middle East, (West Asia),'' he said.

There is speculation in the media that the meeting could come as early as next month at the end of the President's visit to Europe.

But before he made his remarks, the White House released a carefully worded statement in which the Secretary of State, Colin Powell, and the President's National Security Advisor, Condoleezza Rice, acknowledged that Israel has indeed "significant concerns'' with the peace plan and promised to address them. Mr. Sharon has accepted the "road map'' and the Israeli Cabinet is expected to approve it.

"Prime Minister Sharon accepted the road map, and that's progress. He accepted it because I assured him that the United States is committed to Israel's security'', Mr. Bush maintained. "I understand it is going to be difficult to achieve peace, but I believe it can happen'', he remarked.

Good sign

Senior administration officials are making the point that the fact that Mr. Sharon has accepted the `road map' is itself a good sign, especially as it comes in the backdrop of recent terror attacks against the Jewish state.

But no one in Washington is holding out any hope of early breakthroughs in this difficult process.

The Bush administration has gone the distance in marginalising the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, with Mr. Bush pointedly criticising him for not being tough enough in tackling terror and keeping the militants in check.

But earlier this week Mr. Bush had a telephonic conversation with the new Palestinian Prime Minister and there was even a secret meeting in the Oval Office this Wednesday between Mr. Bush and the Palestinian Finance Minister — the first of sorts for this Republican President.

All this means that this Bush White House is coming to accept the changes on the Palestinian side.

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