US President George W. Bush called on the international community Sunday to "deal harshly" with Hamas and other Palestinian groups behind anti-Israeli attacks.
Bush said in order to bring peace to the region "it is clear that the free world, those who love freedom and peace, must deal harshly with Hamas and the killers" of Israelis.
"For those of us who are interested in moving the process forward, we must combine our efforts to cut off all money, support, for anybody who tries to sabotage the peace process," he told reporters.
"I'm confident we can achieve peace. It's going to be a tough road, but I am determined to continue to lend the weight of this government to advance peace," said Bush.
The president sidestepped questions about whether the United States would provide money or arms to help Palestinian prime minister Mahmud Abbas set up a security force that can deal forcefully with armed groups.
"We would like for the Palestinian Authority to set up a security force ... that will do the job that Prime Minister Abbas assured me that they're interested in doing, which is to defeat those terrorists," he said.
He noted that his Middle East envoy, John Wolf, had arrived in the region late Saturday to promote the "road-map" to peace.
"We are in the process of helping them implement a strategy ... as to how the Palestinian Authority wants to reconstitute a security force 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," he said.
Meanwhile, leaders of Hamas said they would consider "carefully and seriously" the ceasefire proposals presented to them by a high-level Egyptian political and security delegation, AFP said.
"We will study carefully and seriously the ideas that the Egyptian delegation is suggesting," it said. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
