(London Times) - The deadly explosion that ripped through the American convoy in Gaza Wednesday made much more complex American initiatives to end the bloodshed in the Middle East. President Bush will now be under much more domestic pressure to remove himself from the peace process. Even if the Palestinian political leadership knows the public relations disaster of a direct attack on Americans, it has encouraged a climate of terror and celebrated senseless suicide bombing as martyrdom. What is spurring the quick denials is not contrition: it is fear. The terrorists are concerned that the deaths of its citizens may prompt America to exact the same sort of swift retribution as was visited on the Taliban after September 11. The Europeans and the Russians, the other members, with the UN, of the "Quad" that promoted the U.S. road map, must be equally forthright in demanding an end to such mindless assassinations.
2003-10-16 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive