Bush gives OK for Israel to "retaliate" against Iraq; backs Israel against Lebanon

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

w w w . h a a r e t z d a i l y . c o m:  Bush says he expects that Israel
would respond if attacked

President George W. Bush said Wednesday night (Israel time) he expected that
Israel would respond if attacked by Iraq. Bush made his comments to
reporters following a meeting with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in the White
House.

"If Iraq were to attack Israel tomorrow then I assume that there would be an
appropriate response...by the prime minister. He's got a desire to defend
himself," Bush said.

On the Arab-Israel front, Bush said Sharon had assured him
he will turn over tax revenues withheld from the Palestinians to the
Palestinian people. But Bush said there must be assurances the funds are not
used to promote terror.

The president also said he would send Assistant Secretary of State William
Burns to the Middle East to work on concrete security and peacemaking moves.

Burns will visit Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, the West Bank,
Yemen, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, said the
official, who asked not to be named. He is expected to talk with Middle East
leaders about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the U.S. campaign to
ensure the disarmament of Iraq, possibly by U.S. military force.

It will be his first trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories since
President George W. Bush changed U.S. policy in the Middle East on June 24,
when he told Palestinians to choose new leaders if they wanted an
independent state.

On the troubled border between Israel and Lebanon, the president expressed
support for the Israeli government in the event of an escalation of attacks
by Hezbollah guerrillas.

"We are making it clear we will fight terror wherever it exists," Bush said.
"We expect Hezbollah not to attack our friend." The group, which has been
fighting a cross-border war with Israel, is armed by Iran and supported by
Syria, two nations which are listed annually as sponsors of terror by the
State Department.

Bush re-iterated his demand that Iraq must be disarmed of weapons of mass
destruction, and if it didn't the international community needed to disarm
the country. He said that the U.S. would attempt to get Security Council
backing against Iraq, but if the council would refuse, the U.S. would forge
a coalition to disarm Saddam. "He is a dangerous man. He has gassed his own
people. That's why he has to be disarmed," Bush said.

Prior to the meeting, the U.S. administration had presented the Israeli
delegation with a "roadmap" on how to ease tensions with the Palestinians
and eventually restart diplomatic talks. Following the meeting, the two are
scheduled to hold a press conference and answer reporters' questions.

The U.S. also plans present the "roadmap" to its Quartet partners, Russia,
the European Union and the United Nations, in a meeting set for next week.
The Quartet has compile a different plan, which includes the establishment
of a Palestinian state within temporary borders and a permanent solution by
2005.

Assistant Secretary of State William Burns met Tuesday with Sharon's bureau
chief Dov Weisglass and presented him with the American draft. Sources in
the Israeli delegation to Washington said that the Bush administration is
looking to show its European and Arab friends that it is interested in
pushing forward peace talks and has therefore presented Israel with the
draft and has recently harshly criticized the IDF's activities in the
territories.

Sharon's seventh trip to the White House since he and President George Bush
took office nearly simultaneously in January 2001 began Tuesday night with a
meeting with Condoleezza Rice, national security adviser to President George
W. Bush.

Sharon was accompanied by Mossad chief Ephraim Levy, head of the Prime
Minister's Bureau, Dov Weisglass and military secretary General Yuval
Galant, Israel Radio reported. Talks focused on the prime minister's
upcoming meeting with Bush.

The discussions focused on U.S. wishes for Israel to show "maximum
restraint" in case of an Iraqi retaliatory raid on Israel during the
expected U.S. offensive against the Baghdad regime, and U.S. desires that
Israel undertake some humanitarian steps to lower the tension in the
territories.

Sharon is not expected to make an explicit promise to avoid retaliation at
all costs, but in exchange for promises of American efforts to prevent any
Iraqi attack similar to those of the 1991 Gulf War, he will indicate to the
Americans he'll try to comply with their wishes.

He will rebuff any American effort to impose a political settlement on
Israel after a war in Iraq, and will emphasize that he is sticking to the
Bush outline for Middle East progress delivered by the president on June 24.
That outline for progress is based on the Palestinians replacing their
current leadership before any new negotiations or any Israeli moves to end
or freeze settlements.

By Aluf Benn, Ha'aretz Correspondent




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