WASHINGTON (voa) – President Bush is demanding and end to “callous and cold blooded killing” in the Middle East. He says Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat must do everything in his power to stop “terrorist killing.”
The president spoke after Wednesday’s massive suicide bombing in Israel that left at least 16 dead. Mr. Bush condemned the attack in the strongest terms.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell says Mr. Arafat must now go on television and radio and tell Palestinians anti-Israeli violence must stop. Mr. Powell says the attacks are destroying hopes for a Palestinian state living side by side in peace with Israel.
Mr. Powell says U.S. special Middle East envoy Anthony Zinni will remain in the region for the next several days in hopes of cementing an Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire.
The Bush administration is focusing on gaining agreement between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators on a series of measures laying the groundwork for the resumption of peace talks aimed at stopping 18 months of bloodshed.
Earlier this week, Israeli media reported the government of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was ready to approve the compromise U.S. plan, which cuts from four weeks to two weeks the time between the start of a truce and the beginning of new peace negotiations.
