Bush vows to pressure Israel if Abbas disarms militants

US President George W. Bush has promised to pressure Israel if Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas disarms militants, Israeli daily Ha'aretz reported Sunday.

The report elaborated that if the Palestinian National Authority meets its security commitments under the roadmap peace plan, including disarming militants, the United States will pressure Israel to dismantle all the illegal outposts in the West Bank right after the disengagement.

The US-backed roadmap sets a series of conditions designed to move Israelis and Palestinians to the creation of a Palestinian state that exists in peace with Israel.

The Palestinians and Israelis accepted the basic outlines of the plan shortly after it was formally introduced by Bush in June 2003.

However, there has been limited progress toward its goal which desires a permanent two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The US administration is refraining from pressuring Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon with regard to the settlements out of concern that such a move would politically hamper Sharon's efforts to implement the pullout.

Source: Xinhua