WASHINGTON, Dec 14 (AFP) - The White House on Tuesday welcomed new Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) chairman Mahmud Abbas' call for an end to the armed uprising against Israel.
"Fighting terrorism and ending the violence is critical to moving forward on building the institutions for a viable (Palestinian) state to emerge," spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters.
"We remain focused on working toward a strategy that will put in place the institutions necessary for a viable state to emerge, but fighting terrorism and putting in a unified security force are key to those efforts," he said.
On a day that a Palestinian policeman and Thai woman were killed in violence in the Gaza Strip, Abbas said opposition to Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories, or intifada, should be limited to non-lethal means.
"The use of weapons is harmful and it should stop," Abbas, the overwhelming favorite in January's Palestinian presidential election, told London-based Arab newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.
He also emphasized "the necessity of keeping the intifada clear of weapons because the intifada is the legitimate right of the people to express their rejection of the occupation by popular and social means."
Despite his opposition to the militarization of the struggle against Israeli occupation, it was his strongest criticism of the armed factions since succeeding Arafat at the helm of the PLO after the veteran leader died on November 11.
Abbas' comments were published the day after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon blasted the new-look Palestinian leadership and the security services for doing nothing to rein in armed factions.
12/14/2004 20:24 GMT - AFP