Can Sharon lead the way to peace?

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Wednesday that he plans to continue leading the country after the disengagement is implemented, and hopes to make peace with the Palestinians.

"I don't intend to retire and rest," Sharon said in a Channel 1 television interview. "I certainly plan to continue and do the things that need to be done for the good of the country, with the hope of reaching a political arrangement that will lead to peace."

Vice Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made similar comments Wednesday, saying: "For the first time in history, an Israeli government has voluntarily decided without outside pressure to pull out of these territories for the sake of one thing only - to lay foundations for the beginning of a meaningful dialogue with Palestinians."Perhaps only Ariel Sharon can make the tough decisions that can lead to peace.