AMMAN, Jordan (AP) - The foreign minister of Jordan on Saturday criticized President Bush's endorsement of an Israeli plan to maintain contentious Jewish settlements in the Palestinian West Bank. Marwan Muasher's comments came ahead of Wednesday's scheduled talks in the United States between Bush and Jordan's King Abdullah II, a close U.S. ally in the Middle East. Muasher told reporters Jordan wants assurances Washington remains committed to an Arab-Israeli settlement based on exchanging land-for-peace and creating a Palestinian state in line with the U.S.-backed road map plan.
"Negotiations on a final solution should be left only for the sides concerned and it's not the right of anyone, except the concerned sides, to delve into issues related to final status negotiations," Muasher said after meeting visiting Palestinian counterpart Nabil Shaath. Muasher said Jordan wants "clear American assurances regarding its commitment to the peace process, the road map and international resolutions to be commiserated that ... an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza isn't a pullout from Gaza only, but a first step on the way of a complete end to Israel's occupation."
| Don't worry, I think the Israelis are going to withdraw from, oh, 40 - 50% of the West Bank. Unless you get your cousins under better control. |
"It is imperative to move carefully in order to reaffirm these actualities and to put the peace process back on its right track," Muasher said, adding that "the latest developments related to the peace process were very worrying." Muasher said Abdullah will make Jordan's position clear to Bush when the two leaders meet next week.
"Marvin! What is this tripe from the Jordanians?"
"Um, Mr. Secretary, they're making their position clear."
"File it. Usual place. And I don't care what Gorelick says!" |
In Cairo, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa said Arab countries would not budge on the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes, nor accept any relinquishing of land seized by Israel in 1967. Moussa, who met Saturday with the 22-member Arab League's permanent representatives, also said a Saudi land-for-peace initiative with Israel, adopted by Arab countries at a 2003 summit, still stood.
| Oh yeah, the "let's find a way to help the Israelis commit national suicide" plan. |
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