Haaretz (Saturday): Rice praises Abbas' efforts to clamp down on militants

[Jack Rabbit]

From Haaretz (Tel Aviv)
Dated Sturday July 23

Rice praises Abbas' efforts to clamp down on militants
By Aluf Benn, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Sunday praised Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' efforts to ensure security ahead of Israel's Gaza withdrawal and said both sides were coordinating efforts, but more needed to be done.

"I want to take this opportunity to commend President Abbas and his leadership as well as that of his government for their ongoing efforts to enforce the rule of law in the West Bank and in Gaza," Rice said, speaking at a news conference after her meeting with Abbas in Ramallah.

"Rice demanded more Palestinian efforts to consolidate the truce," said Palestinian Planning Minister Ghassan Khatib, who attended one of the meetings.

Rice said that after the withdrawal from Gaza Strip, the United States wanted to make sure that the territory was not kept sealed and that Palestinians had access to the West Bank.

Rice said free movement for the Palestinians was vital for the economic future of the Gaza Strip. "That means when the Israelis withdraw from Gaza they cannot be sealed or isolated as an area, with the Palestinian people closed in after that withdrawal," Rice said.

Read more.