DATE=04/10/2002

TYPE=EDITORIAL

NUMBER=0-09814

TITLE=EDITORIAL: MIDDLE EAST UPDATE

INTERNET=Yes

CONTENT=THIS EDITORIAL IS BEING RELEASED FOR USE BY ALL SERVICES.

Anncr: Next, an editorial expressing the policies of the United States Government:

Voice: Israel is beginning to withdraw from Tulkarem [tul-kar-EAM] and Qalqilya [CAL-kill-ee-yah], two of the West Bank cities it has occupied. A statement from the White House said, "It's a start." As President George W. Bush said, all parties in the Middle East have responsibilities, and are expected to act in the interest of peace and stability.

The U-S is doing its part. President Bush has said, "This could be a hopeful moment in the Middle East. The proposal of Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, supported by the Arab League, has put a number of countries in the Arab world closer than ever to recognizing Israel's right to exist. The United States is on record supporting the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for a Palestinian state."

But the terror must be stopped. As Mr. Bush put it, "No nation can negotiate with terrorists. For there is no way to make peace with those whose only goal is death." Israel's current operation on the West Bank is in response to a series of deadly suicide attacks on Israeli civilians.

What is needed now is leadership. Not terror. Yasser Arafat, chairman of the Palestinian Authority, has not consistently opposed or confronted terrorists. And Israel, as President Bush said, "must understand that its response to these recent [terrorist] attacks is only a temporary measure."

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell is now in the region. His goals, said President Bush, include working for "an immediate cease-fire, an end to terror and violence and incitement, [and] withdrawal of Israeli troops from Palestinian cities."

Conflict is not inevitable. "Peace is possible," said President Bush, "when we break free of old patterns and habits of hatred. The violence and grief that troubled the Holy Land have been among the great tragedies of our time. The Middle East has often been left behind in the political and economic advancement of the world. That is the history of the region. But it need not and must not be its fate."

As President Bush said, "The United States is firmly committed to achieving peace."

Anncr: That was an editorial expressing the policies of the United States Government. If you have a comment, please write to Editorials, V-O-A, Washington, D-C, 20237, U-S-A. You may also comment at www-dot-ibb-dot-gov-slash-editorials, or fax us at (202) 619-1043.