Palestinians hail advances in talks with Bush, but Abbas' fate

WASHINGTON -- In talks with U.S. officials on the "road map" Middle East peace plan, Palestinians say they got much of what they wanted: better relations with Washington, pledges to press Israel on crucial issues, broad U.S. willingness to hear Palestinian grievances.

The question they now face is whether that will be enough to generate public support for Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas' fragile rule and offer hope that the U.S.-backed plan might end decades of Arab-Israeli contention and create a Palestinian state.

Abbas met with President Bush on Friday and emerged with a strong endorsement at a joint news conference and a stated willingness from Bush to seek concessions from Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Bush and Sharon meet Tuesday at the White House.

Privately, Palestinian officials also expressed confidence that Bush would not endorse Sharon's insistence that Abbas' police forcefully crack down on militant groups.

The politically weak Abbas was under heavy pressure at home to make concrete progress with Bush on the "road map," which has been largely stalled by fierce Israeli-Palestinian disagreement on what should be the next step and who should take it.

Positive spin

Palestinian officials were eager to put a positive spin Saturday on the outcome of the talks with Bush, who hosted a Palestinian leader at the White House for the first time and showed a new public sensitivity to the Palestinian side. Bush was responsible for Abbas' ascendancy because he refused to deal with Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader and symbol of the movement for four decades.

"The most important achievement of this trip is that we successfully explained our position to the Americans," Abbas said Saturday. "We wanted the U.S.-Palestinian relationship to be built on clarity and honesty, and we have accomplished that."

The peace plan, which would establish an independent Palestine by 2005, received a boost late last month when the main Palestinian militant groups declared temporary cease-fires. Little further has been done.

Palestinian officials said they received a fair hearing from Bush administration officials on their top demands: removal of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza, more releases of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails and an end to construction of a security fence near the Israel-West Bank dividing line.

Bush's stand against the partially constructed fence, which is to veer deep into the West Bank to encompass larger Israeli settlements, was considered a major achievement by the Palestinians. Bush said after the meeting on Friday that building confidence was difficult "with a wall snaking through the West Bank."

"One of the most important achievements was Bush's condemning tone on the separation wall," Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath said after the leaders met. "This trip was very useful in beginning the process of bringing an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people."

Sharon's government argues the wall is needed to stop militants from coming into Israel to mount attacks. Officials have suggested the need for the barrier would disappear once there the threat of violence has disappeared.

Bush also said he would take up the prisoner question with Sharon next week, Palestinian officials said. The Israelis have released 250 of an estimated 7,700 jailed Palestinians, and a special committee is to meet to consider further releases.

Israel has refused to release large numbers of prisoners or to move forcefully on other Palestinian demands until, as stipulated in the road map, Abbas begins disarming organizations responsible for bombings and other attacks that have killed hundreds of Israelis in 33 months of violence. Abbas fears a harsh crackdown would trigger civil war, and he prefers dialogue.

Despite the gains, Abbas faces serious problems at home. Militant groups are still armed and making demands that include release of all Palestinian prisoners and are threatening to resume attacks against Israelis if the demands were not met or if Abbas should try to disarm them by force.

A leading member of his Cabinet suggested recently that failure in Washington could lead to Abbas' ouster.

Relations have not been smooth with Arafat, who reluctantly appointed Abbas in April under international pressure to share power.

"We will face difficulties, we will face problems," Abbas said on Saturday. "But the real test will come next week when we find out the outcome of the meeting with the Israelis."