Bush calls for 'courage' from Palestinians
AFP
Date: 08-29-05
EL MIRAGE, United States (AFP) - US President George W. Bush praised Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and called on Palestinians to show "political courage" by fighting extremists.
"It took political courage for that decision," Bush said of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's controversial disengagement plan, which also calls for giving up some settlements in the West Bank.
"And now it's going to take political courage by the Palestinians and Prime Minister (Mahmud) Abbas to step up, reject violence, reject terrorism and build a democracy, and the United States of America stands ready to help," he said.
Bush, on a brief trip here to push his health care policy, praised Sharon, calling the Gaza withdrawal "a courageous decision" that was also "the first step" towards building an independent Palestinian state.
The president did not mention the so-called roadmap to Middle East peace, which has made next to no progress since it was endorsed by the Israelis and Palestinians in 2003 amid continuing bloodshed, prompting Israel to come up with its unilateral Gaza withdrawal plan.
Earlier, Sharon told Channel 10 private television that Israel would not hold onto all of its West Bank settlements, and that the final map of settlements that Israel would retain would not be presented until final status negotiations with the Palestinians.
But he added that it would not include all of the 130 enclaves which are dotted across the territory.
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