Middle East Terror "Has to End," Powell Says

Middle East Terror "Has to End," Powell Says

Secretary of state calls on Arab nations to press Hamas

By Judy Aita - Washington File United Nations Correspondent

United Nations -- Secretary of State Colin Powell August 21 urged Arab nations and others to press radical groups to end the violence in the Middle East so that progress on the roadmap for peace between Israelis and Palestinians can proceed.

After a meeting with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, Powell said, "I call upon all colleagues in the Security Council at the U.N. and other members of the international community, members of the Quartet [the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia, when working together in support of the Middle East peace process], Arab nations to step up now and insist that the terror perpetrated by organizations such as Hamas must come to an end."

The secretary of state also called on Palestinian Chairman Yasser Arafat to work with Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas "to make available to Prime Minister Abbas those security elements that are under his control so that they can allow progress to be made on the roadmap, end terror, end this violence that just results in the further repetition of the cycle that we've seen so often."

"It has to end. The Palestinian people, the Israeli people, deserve better," Powell said. "Those who are determined to blow up the roadmap must not be allowed to succeed."

Powell said that the new round of violence cannot be allowed to destroy the roadmap.

"The end of the roadmap is a cliff ," the secretary of state said. "The alternative is what? Just more death and destruction? Let the terrorists win? Let those who have no interest in a Palestinian state win? Let those who have no interest but killing innocent people win? No. That is not an acceptable outcome."

"I think both parties realize it and I think both sides should recommit themselves to finding a way forward," Powell said.

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