President Bush vowed on Monday to push ahead with the Middle East peace "road map" despite a wave of Palestinian bombings but admitted the path ahead would be a bumpy one.
"The road map still stands," Bush said. "The vision of two states existing side by side is a real vision, and one that I will work toward."
The U.S.-backed peace plan, which calls for a Palestinian state as early as 2005, has failed to inspire much momentum thus far.
"We're still on the road to peace," Bush told a joint news conference with Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. "It's just going to be a bumpy road. And I'm not going to get off the road until we achieve the vision."
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said a series of actions need to take place "beginning with unequivocal steps by the Palestinians to combat terror and the willingness of the Israelis to work with the Palestinians to achieve the political ends of the road map."
Bush said he still had confidence in Palestinian premier, Mahmoud Abbas' ability to crack down on armed groups. He said Abbas will need some help, particularly from those countries that can crack down on the money flow to Hamas. He mentioned countries in the region as well as Europe.
"What's more important than process is results, and that we've got to work together to cut off the funding and the support and activity of the terrorist killers who can't stand peace. Europe must work with us to do everything we can to discourage the terrorist activities that derail a process toward peace," Bush said. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
