Wed, Apr 28, 2004
Bush May Offer Jordan's King Assurances on Mideast
Date: Wed, Apr 28, 2004
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - After his recent strong statements supporting Israel, President Bush (news - web sites) is considering giving written assurances to Jordan's King Abdullah that the issue of Jewish settlements and Palestinian refugees will be decided in negotiations.
U.S. and diplomatic sources said on Tuesday that such assurances from Bush would help mend diplomatic fences between the United States and its Arab allies without negating Bush's pledges of support for Israel.
Bush and Abdullah are scheduled to meet in Washington next week after the Jordanian king postponed a visit originally planned for April 20 in protest at Bush's stance on Israel.
Bush sparked an international backlash on April 14 by endorsing Israel's right to hold on to some West Bank settlements on land captured in the 1967 Middle East war.
He coupled that with an endorsement of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites)'s unilateral Gaza pullout plan and a negation of any right of return for Palestinian refugees to what is now Israel.
The meeting with Abdullah was rescheduled for May 6 soon after Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) assured Jordanian Foreign Minister Marwan al-Muasher that Bush was not dictating the terms of a final peace settlement.
Powell emphasized that point on Tuesday night at an Israeli independence day celebration.
"Ultimately, the parties themselves must mutually agree on final settlement issues," he told an audience that included Israelis, American Jews and senior U.S. officials.
Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, said he was also told by the White House that "all final status issues between the Palestinians and Israelis must be kept exactly that -- final status issues and negotiated between the parties."
A Jordanian official said Abdullah would use his meeting with Bush to "seek clarification" on the status of the settlements and Palestinian refugees.
As a goodwill gesture, the White House is considering providing him with those assurances in writing, although administration sources said no final decision had been made.
Jordan, which has hosted successive waves of Palestinian refugees since the creation of Israel in 1948, fears the rejection of the right of refugees to return will pave the way for their permanent integration in the kingdom.
The majority of Jordan's 5 million population are Palestinian refugees and their descendants.
SOURCE
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