Bush stresses confidence in Mideast peace process

US President George W Bush has said he has confidence in the Middle East peace process and would continue to pursue his peace…

US President George W Bush has said he has confidence in the Middle East peace process and would continue to pursue his peace "road map" despite the latest Palestinian suicide bombings.

"I've got confidence we can move the peace process forward," President Bush said in a news conference with Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

He spoke shortly after a suspected Palestinian suicide bomber struck an Israeli shopping mall, killing at least two people.

It was the fifth suicide attack in three days by militants sworn to wreck the road map peace plan embraced by a new Palestinian leadership but not by the Israeli government.

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"The road map still stands. The vision of two states existing side-by-side in peace is a real vision and one that I will work towards ... We're still on the road to peace. It's just going to be a bumpy road and I'm not going to get off the road until we achieve the vision," Mr Bush said.

He urged countries in the region and Europe to support the peace process and discourage violence

The road map sets out reciprocal steps for the Israelis and Palestinians to take toward the goal of creating a Palestinian state by 2005.