Lasting peace in the Middle East is possible only if a Palestinian state is established, U.S. President George W. Bush said Tuesday. Underscoring his message, Bush said, "our government means what we say."
Taking a break in talks with King Mohammed VI of Morocco for a picture-taking session, Bush also urged Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to speed up the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the West Bank and pressed Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to confront “terrorism.”
"The only way for there to be lasting peace is for there to be two states living side by side at peace with each other," Bush said.
On Thursday, Bush will meet Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, whose proposal for a settlement between Israel and the Arabs already has been embraced by the American president.
Bush said a peace conference was only one of several options he was exploring. The key, he said during talks with the Moroccan king, is for government leaders to work toward the vision of peace with two states, Israeli and Palestinian.
The Moroccan monarch, urging a more vigorous U.S. role, said, "We have to shift the gear to go into higher speed." He also pledged Morocco's support in the U.S.-led campaign against terrorism.
“With respect to terrorism, we are also determined to go ahead with you in fighting terrorism. And this is something of concern to Morocco as much as it's of concern to the United States and all democratic people in the world,” the Moroccan leader said.
Bush said he would promote a free-trade agreement with Morocco, thereby giving this North African country easier access to U.S. markets.
The king thanked Bush for sending Secretary of State Colin Powell to the Middle East two weeks ago and said, "We are beginning to see the results," an apparent reference to Israel's pulling back some forces. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
