WASHINGTON Ñ U.S. officials said Bush has expressed his support for the establishment
of such a state in the short-term to both Arab and Israeli leaders. The president is
expected to announce his ideas during a speech next week.
"The president is ready to provide an outline of his vision for peace in
the Middle East," an official said. "At this point, he is not willing to get
into specifics. That situation, however could change quite quickly."
Officials said Bush has stressed that he will urge that the Palestinians
institute reform and end the insurgency war against Israel, Middle East Newsline reported.
On Thursday, Bush rejected a Saudi demand to set a timetable for and
borders of an interim Palestinian state. Officials said Bush stressed that
the borders of a timetable would be negotiated between Israel and the
Palestinians.
"There's one thing for certain that I strongly believe, and that is that
we must build the institutions necessary for the evolution of a Palestinian
state which can live peacefully in the region, and provide hope for the
suffering Palestinian people," Bush said.
Earlier, Bush met for 20 minutes with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud
Al Faisal. An official said the president turned down the foreign minister's
request to discuss specifics of the U.S. peace proposal.
"I'll call it a warm visit, a warm meeting," White House spokesman Ari
Fleischer said. "I don't think they [Saudi leaders] expect the United States
to do 100 percent of everything they ask the United States to do."
Later, the Saudi foreign minister returned to the White House for a
meeting with Vice President Richard Cheney. Saud said his kingdom wants a
"peace that will respond to the Palstininian aspiration for dignity and a
homeland, a peace that will establish peace and normalcy for Israel."
On Wednesday, Secretary of State Colin Powell called for the
establishment of an interim Palestinian state, a proposal that was quickly
rejected by the White House as premature. Powell later disassociated himself
from the proposal, saying it was one of several ideas being presented to the
president.
But U.S. officials said the idea of an interim Palestinian state has
been discussed with and agreed to in principle by Israeli Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon. They said an interim Palestinian state would be a focus on
negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians on permanent borders and
other issues.
"Welcome to the Middle East," Fleischer said. "This is a situation where
people get a variety of information, a variety of advice and if the
president has anything further to indicate, he will."
Bush, who last discussed his vision on the Middle East on April 4, has
been ambiguous in responding to State Department appeals, voiced by Powell,
for a detailed U.S. plan for Middle East. The result, analysts said, is that
U.S. policy in the Middle East appears paralyzed.
"That gray zone of ambiguity has proven fertile ground for a series of
questionable trial balloons and stealthy policy innovations," Robert
Satloff, director of policy and strategic planning at the Washington
Institute for Near East Policy, said. "While diplomatic ambiguity sometimes
has its advantages, the administration must be wary lest ambiguity drift in
a direction that would make the ultimate goals of regional security and
peaceful resolution of conflict more difficult than before."
