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U.S. Blames Hamas For Incursion

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The Associated Press

Published: January 4, 2009

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration on Saturday blamed the more than week-old onslaught in the Gaza Strip squarely on Hamas militants, but did not mention the invasion of Israeli ground troops into Gaza and avoided any criticism of Israel despite mounting world outrage over the growing death toll.

A State Department official said the United States is working toward a cease-fire, but provided no details on how this can be accomplished because the United States does not talk to Hamas. Spokesman Sean McCormack said a cease-fire is needed that will not allow Hamas to continue firing rockets into Israel.

President George W. Bush was briefed Saturday afternoon on the situation in Gaza and White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said U.S. officials are in "regular contact with the Israelis, as well as officials from countries in the region and Europe."

Asked if the United States was warned before the invasion, Johndroe did not answer that question, but said: "Their ground action is part of their overall operation. We continue to make clear to them our concerns for civilians, as well as the humanitarian situation."

A senior U.S. defense official in Washington said it appeared that the Israeli ground force that entered Gaza consisted of perhaps two brigades, equating to roughly several thousand troops.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was referring to confidential U.S.-Israeli contacts Saturday, said it appeared the objective of the ground assault was not just to deal with the rocket attacks into southern Israel but to seek longer-term security. The official said Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was informed in general terms, through normal Israeli defense channels, of the ground incursion and its objectives.

With time running out on the Bush presidency, the crisis in Gaza is likely to carry over to President-elect Barack Obama.

Bush also spoke about the situation in Gaza during his weekly radio address.

Calling the Hamas attacks an "act of terror," Bush said the United States was "leading diplomatic efforts to achieve a meaningful cease-fire."

"Another one-way cease-fire that leads to rocket attacks on Israel is not acceptable," he said in the address, which was released Friday. "And promises from Hamas will not suffice - there must be monitoring mechanisms in place to help ensure that smuggling of weapons to terrorist groups in Gaza comes to an end."

Before Saturday's movement of Israeli ground troops into Gaza, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice briefed Bush on developments and conducted telephone diplomacy in hopes of arranging a truce. However, she said she had no plans to make an emergency visit to the region.

ARAB NATIONS SEEK U.N. CALL FOR CEASE-FIRE

UNITED NATIONS - Arab nations demanded Saturday that the United Nations Security Council call for an immediate cease-fire after Israel's launch of a ground offensive in Gaza, a view echoed by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Libya circulated a draft statement to council members before emergency council consultations began, expressing "serious concern at the escalation of the situation in Gaza" and calling on Israel and Hamas "to stop immediately all military activities."

The 15-member council then met behind closed doors to discuss a proposed presidential statement that would also call for all parties to address the humanitarian and economic needs in Gaza, including by opening border crossings.

The statement, if approved, would become part of the council's official record but would not have the weight of a Security Council resolution, which is legally binding.

Before the council met Saturday night, Ban telephoned Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and said he was disappointed that Israel launched a ground offensive and "alarmed that this escalation will inevitably increase the already heavy suffering" of Palestinian civilians, the U.N. spokesman's office said in a statement.

The secretary-general said the Israeli ground operation is complicating efforts by the Quartet of Mideast peacemakers - the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia - to end the violence.

The Associated Press

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