President Bush in Jordan for peace talks
US President George W Bush is in Jordan today meeting with the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers to discuss facilitating peace in the Middle East.
Mr Bush met with Ariel Sharon and Mahmoud Abbas separately in the king of Jordan’s palace in the port of Aqaba to discuss implementation of the US-led roadmap for peace. The three men will also meet together soon.
The so-called roadmap outlines a series of steps leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian State by 2005. Both sides have formally accepted the peace plan but have not yet started to implement it.
There are still obstacles in the way of the peace plan. Israel is demanding a ceasefire and end to suicide bombings from the Palestinian, while there are also calls for Israel to put an end to its controversial Jewish settlement programmes. Neither side has yet made a solid commitment to meeting either demand.
The President has already warned Israel that it must be prepared to end the settlements in Palestinian areas, stating yesterday: ‘Israel must deal with the settlements. Israel must make sure there is a continuous territory that the Palestinians can call home.’
As a gesture of goodwill ahead of the summit, the Israeli government released about 100 Palestinian prisoners.
Speaking after a meeting in Egypt with five Middle Eastern heads of state, Mr Bush said: ‘We see the potential for the birth of a new Palestinian state and the potential for broader peace among the peoples of this region.’
No word of what happened in the summit has yet been released. Mr Sharon and Mr Abbas are both expected to release statements today.
