U.S. Official Urges Abbas to Rein in Militants


Reuters
 Date: 01-16-05

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A White House official called on the new Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, on Sunday to take "aggressive steps" to stop attacks by militants, and deemed Israel's decision to suspend all contacts with Abbas as temporary.

"With the most recent bombings,... you're going to expect a government to take steps," senior White House aide Dan Bartlett said of Israel's decision to suspend contacts because of a militant attack that killed six Israelis.

Bartlett, speaking on CNN's "Late Edition," said the United States and other nations would still work with Abbas "to make the 'road map' (peace plan) a reality and to make sure that we address these security concerns."

"We believe in the coming days and weeks and months that the two parties will be able to speak directly to the issue of security," Bartlett said.

Asked if the Bush administration wanted to see Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon restart direct talks with Abbas, Bartlett said: "I think that will take place... That is going to take place under a certain period of time."

He said Palestinian security forces must be consolidated under the leadership of Abbas. "He needs to take aggressive steps to stop the violence," Bartlett said. "It's hard for people to try to negotiate the terms of a peace where innocent civilians are being killed."

Source

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