Posted on 03/04/2003 12:02:37 PM PST by RCW2001
4 March 2003 19:18
WASHINGTON, March 4 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush on Tuesday told Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak he was committed to moving forward with a "road map" for peace between Israelis and Palestinians, a White House spokesman said. Spokesman Ari Fleischer said Bush and Mubarak discussed the U.S. leader's speech last week in which he raised the prospect of a new government in Iraq creating an opportunity for wider Middle East peace.
Bush, who has threatened to disarm Baghdad by force and oust President Saddam Hussein, said success in Iraq could set in motion progress toward a democratic Palestinian state.
"The president told President Mubarak about his recent speech where he reiterated his commitment to move forward on seeking peace between Israelis and Palestinians," Fleischer said. "And President Bush told President Mubarak of his personal commitment to dedicate time and energy to this goal."
The European Union and Arab states have called on Washington to infuse Israeli-Palestinan peacemaking with new energy by immediately releasing a plan for the creation of a Palestinian state within three years. U.S. officials have said the plan is not yet ready.
Release of the so-called road map has been put off for months at U.S. insistence to avoid pressuring Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon during January's general election and then his negotiations on forming a new government.
Arab states and some European allies have denounced a possible U.S.-led attack on Iraq, fearing it could destabilize the volatile Middle East and further complicate the Israeli-Palestinian crisis.
Fleischer said Bush and Mubarak discussed Iraq but gave no other details. The two leaders also talked about the recent Arab summit in Cairo and the upcoming Islamic Conference summit in Doha. ((Reporting by Patricia Wilson, editing by Lori Santos; Reuters Messaging: patricia.wilson.reuters.com@reuters.net; +1 202-898-8300, fax +1 202-898-8383)) ((Xtra clients: Click on http://topnews.session.rservices.com to see Top News pages in multimedia Web format. If you cannot access the pages, ask your IT department to check your Internet firewall settings. For a technical advisory, click on .))
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.