
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, March 7, 1991                   TAG: 9103070206
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Los Angeles Times
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

WIDER PEACE WANTED/ BUSH URGES ISRAELI, ARAB CONCESSIONS

Seeking to turn the momentum of the allied victory in the Persian Gulf War into a campaign for peace throughout the Middle East, President Bush declared Wednesday that it is time "to put an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict."

The president, welcomed by a cheering joint session of the House and Senate, pressed Israel and its Palestinian foes to make concessions to end years of mutual antagonism.

Saluting the American forces who fought "with honor and valor," Bush announced U.S. soldiers would begin arriving home from the gulf today. The first planeload - elements of the 24th Mechanized Infantry Division of Fort Stewart, Ga. - was scheduled to lift off from the war zone shortly after he completed his speech.

Addressing prospects for building on the war's success - and on the cohesiveness of the coalition that found such disparate nations as the United States, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Israel sharing goals - he said:

"Peace-making in the Middle East requires compromise. We must do all that we can to close the gap between Israel and the Arab states, and between Israelis and Palestinians. The tactics of terror lead nowhere. There can be no substitute for diplomacy."

Bush offered support for "the principle of territory for peace," implicit for years in U.S. policy toward the region.

"This principle must be elaborated to provide for Israel's security and recognition, and at the same time for legitimate Palestinian political rights," he said.

Declaring "our commitment to peace in the Middle East does not end with the liberation of Kuwait," Bush set out three other goals:

Creating "shared security arrangements in the region," including joint military exercises with allied forces.

Fostering "economic development for the sake of peace and progress."

Controlling "the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the missiles used to deliver them."

"Iraq requires special vigilance. Iraq must not have access to the instruments of war," until its has convinced the world "of its peaceful intentions," Bush said.

"Tonight in Iraq, Saddam walks amidst ruin. His war machine is crushed. His ability to threaten mass destruction is itself destroyed," Bush said. "When his defeated legions come home, all Iraqis will see and feel the havoc he has wrought."

"And this I promise you: For all that Saddam has done to his own people, to the Kuwaitis, and to the entire world - Saddam and those around him are accountable," Bush said.

by CNB