Thursday, September 15, 2005

Bush: No more steps till Gaza is quiet

That is the headline from the Jerusalem Post:

...Earlier in the day US President George W. Bush told Sharon there will be no further steps in the diplomatic process if Gaza is not quiet.

According to Israeli officials who participated in the 45-minute meeting, Bush told Sharon that from the US perspective Gaza is a test ground, and for there to be any further progress the Palestinians must ensure quiet, security and proper governance.

Sounds good--would sound even better if this had been said publicly at a press conference, instead of privately. After the enormous gamble taken and the chaos that has broken out in Gaza, it be a whole lot more reassuring to see Bush put his foot down, especially considering the $50 million that the US is giving the PA, and the anti-American rhetoric that Abbas tolerates.

According to the article, Secretary of State Rice attended the meeting too. That should make things interesting. Perhaps this will be the last we will hear of her talking about 'momentum'--at least for a while.

Why didn't Bush come out with this statement earlier?

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