WASHINGTON, April 18 (UPI) -- President Bush said Thursday that Secretary of State Colin Powell had made progress in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and stressed the United States would remain engaged in the peace process.
Bush made the assessment at the White House prior to a personal debriefing by Powell.
"He (Powell) carried (a) message of hope and peace, that our nation is -- will work hard to achieve a peace," Bush said. "He also carried the message that people must be focused and must work hard to achieve a peace. The people in the region have got certain responsibilities. The short-term responsibilities are these: The Palestinian Authority must act on its condemnation of terror. The Israelis are withdrawing from Jenin and Nablus, and they must continue their withdrawals.
"And neighbors in the region must condemn terror, cut off funding for terror. Must make it clear that people who suicide-bomb are not martyrs, they kill, they're murderers of innocent people."
Powell, he said, made it clear the United States is serious about two states -- one Jewish, one Palestinian -- existing side by side.
"In order for that vision to be achieved, leaders must take responsibility. Leaders in the region must be responsible citizens for a peaceful world," Bush said.
During a six-day trip in which he met with both Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Powell demanded Arafat condemn suicide bombings that have killed scores of people and action by Sharon to withdraw troops from the West Bank, which Israel invaded in response to the bombings.
Arafat eventually gave in and made his public condemnation, and Sharon promised a withdrawal -- but at a timetable of his choosing.
"... The situation prior to the secretary's arrival was at a boiling point, and thanks to his hard work, he has laid out not only a vision of hope, which is important, but has convinced others that these terrorist acts will forever and constantly undermine the capacity for peace," Bush said. "As he mentioned and I mentioned, there have been some withdrawals from the West Bank. Mr. Arafat did condemn terror. Now we will hold him to account."
Sharon, he said, gave him a timetable for withdrawal "and he's met the timetable," but troops remained in Ramallah, where Sharon says killers of Israel's tourism minister were said to be holed up in the basement of a building where Powell met with Arafat.
Israel is demanding custody of the five, and Bush said efforts were underway to resolve the standoff.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer later characterized the Israeli withdrawal as only a start.
"Is it enough?" he asked at a news conference. "No."
"The president has made it clear they (the Israelis) have to continue with withdrawal. The president has said the withdrawals need to continue.
"When the president said they should withdraw from the West Bank, he meant the whole West Bank."
Following his visit to Israel and the West Bank, Powell flew to Egypt to meet with Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher and his Jordanian counterpart, but a scheduled meeting with President Hosni Mubarak was cancelled, ostensibly because of illness.
Powell said U.S. diplomats in the Middle East would follow up on his visit and continue to push forward U.S. efforts to diffuse violence and restart peace negotiations.
Earlier Thursday, President Bush spoke with Jordanian King Abdullah by telephone to apprise him of peace efforts, and more plans to other regional leaders are planned, the White House said.
Talk of a Middle East peace conference was premature, according to the White House.
