Editorial: Tough talk directed at terrorists

Wednesday, June 26, 2002 | 8:56 a.m.

Last week President Bush was on the verge of announcing his plans for peace in the Middle East. Those plans were put on hold, however, after two suicide bombings that left 26 Israelis dead. There had been concerns at the time that Bush might agree to the creation of a Palestinian state without first guaranteeing that Israel's security be protected. But the president's blunt remarks on Monday, devoid of diplomatic niceties where he tried to please both sides in the past, allayed many of those fears. Bush said that before a new state is recognized, Palestinians will have to stop the terrorist attacks and put in place genuine election reforms.

The president also, in a move whose importance can't be overstated, indicated there was no room for Yasser Arafat as the leader of any future Palestinian state. "I call on the Palestinian people to elect new leaders, leaders not compromised by terror." Bush never mentioned Arafat by name, but the implication was obvious: Arafat must go.

It also was encouraging that he said to Middle East nations that their support of Palestinian terrorists no longer would be tolerated. Some details were left out of the president's speech, including what lands might be become part of a new Palestinian state, but the vision that the president laid out was right on the mark. The policy is an acknowledgement that Israel, in its negotiations with Palestinians to arrive at a peace agreement, should not be forced to make concessions that reward terrorism.

Palestinian leaders, for the most part, rejected the president's call for new leadership. Although that was disappointing, it wasn't totally unexpected since these are the same people who condone terrorism. Now is the time for new, moderate leaders to step forward. As President Bush said, no legitimate Palestinian state can be created whose foundation rests on terrorism.