THE ROAD DOESN'T GO ON OND ON AFTER ALL:

Palestinian Militants Back Truce: Hamas and others agree to extend what they call the 'calm' through 2005 but stop short of a cease-fire. Sharon calls it a positive first step. (Laura King and Jailan Zayan, March 18, 2005, LA Times)

Palestinian militant groups agreed Thursday to extend an informal truce for the rest of the year and refrain from attacking Israel, though they placed conditions on the pledge and did not rule out a resumption of violence at some point.

The agreement, which included Hamas and Islamic Jihad, appeared to fall short of the formal cease-fire commitment sought by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Nonetheless, the outcome was seen as enhancing his political prestige at a delicate time in dealings with Israel.

All sides appeared eager to put the best possible face on the outcome of the three-day talks, which were held at a desert hotel outside Cairo under the auspices of the Egyptian government.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was unusually upbeat, describing the results as a "positive first step." But he and other Israeli officials stressed that the militant organizations must ultimately be disarmed.

"The prime minister emphasized that this is only an interim step, and in order for there to be progress in peace efforts, terrorist organizations cannot continue to exist as armed groups, and certainly not as terror organizations," read a statement released by Sharon's office.

In the past, Israel has been dismissive of efforts by Palestinian officials to strike an accord with the militant groups. Sharon's comments followed a telephone conversation with President Hosni Mubarak and seemed to be a nod to the Egyptian leader's role as a mediator between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Peaceful militants?

MORE:
Bush invites Israeli PM to his Crawford ranch: Sharon visit aimed at advancing Middle East peace process
(The Associated Press, March 18, 2005)

President Bush has invited Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to his Texas ranch in mid-April to help advance the Middle East peace process, a senior administration official said Friday.

Invitations to the president’s private ranch at Crawford, Texas, typically are reserved for top diplomatic efforts. This one comes as Bush has been citing progress in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, the official told The Associated Press of the invitation on a condition of anonymity because the trip has not been officially announced.

In a speech last week, Bush hailed fresh signs of democracy in the Middle East. He said the United States’ goal is to see “two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace and security.”

Posted by Orrin Judd at March 18, 2005 12:00 AM