10 June 2003
Bush "Deeply Troubled" over Israeli Action in Gaza
(White House Report: Middle East, Thailand, Burma) (570)
President Bush is "deeply troubled" by the June 10 attack by Israeli
helicopter gunships on a militant Hamas leader in Gaza that claimed at
least two lives and wounded more than 20, White House Press Secretary
Ari Fleischer told reporters.
News reports say that the Hamas leader, Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi, was
among the wounded.
"The president regrets deeply the loss of life and the ... injuries to
innocent Palestinians. The president is concerned that this strike
will undermine efforts by Palestinian authorities and others to bring
an end to terrorist attacks. And the president thinks that this action
does not contribute to Israel's security," Fleischer said at his noon
briefing.
Later in the day, President Bush himself spoke against the action.
"I'm concerned that the attacks will make it more difficult for
Palestinian leadership to fight off terrorist attacks. I also don't
believe the attacks helped Israeli security," Bush said as he met
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni at the White House.
"I am determined to keep the process on the road to peace and I
believe that with responsible leadership by all parties we can bring
peace to the region," Bush told reporters.
Asked by a reporter to compare the seriousness of the Israeli attack
with that of a recent attack on Israeli soldiers by Palestinian
terrorist groups, Fleischer said it is not a question "of which action
presents the greatest threat to making progress toward peace. They
both do."
"Neither party," he said, "can afford to take actions that derail the
road map because it's too important to the peace and security and the
well-being of the Israeli people and the Palestinian people. And
that's why the President finds this deeply troubling," Fleischer said.
Bush directed members of his administration to tell both Israelis and
Palestinians that they must "keep on a track to implementing the road
map" to peace in the Middle East, the press secretary said.
"[C]onversations have been had and phone calls were made by National
Security Advisor [Condoleezza] Rice, Assistant Secretary of State
[Thomas] Burns, the counselor in Jerusalem [Jeffrey] Feltman,
Ambassador [in Jerusalem Daniel] Kurtzer, as well as Mr. [Elliott]
Abrams here at the National Security Council. A wide-ranging series of
phone calls have gone out to senior Palestinian and Israeli
officials," Fleischer said.
When asked by a reporter about the progress of the road map since the
Aqaba meeting, Fleischer said, "results have started to be achieved,
but it's now important to build on those results despite this violence
and not to let this violence deter both parties from engaging in
fulfillment of their responsibilities."
BUSH MEETS WITH THAILAND'S PRIME MINISTER
President Bush met in the Oval Office June 10 with Thailand's Prime
Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
They "expressed their deep concern over the recent developments in
Burma, in particular the violence that occurred on May 30," when
democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi was arrested by Burma's military
junta, Fleischer told reporters.
The two leaders demanded her "immediate release."
As a result of renewing a U.S. "national emergency" regarding Burma,
"we have prohibited new investment in Burma by all persons in the
United States, we extended for one year the national emergency and
associated sanctions with respect to Burma," Fleischer said.
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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