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U.S. President George W. Bush. (Reuters Archives) Last update - 09:24 01/05/2008 U.S. officials: Bush will wait to present final-status guidelines By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: George W. Bush, Israel  Senior U.S. administration officials stressed during meetings last week in Washington with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas that President George Bush does not intend at this stage to present guidelines of his own for resolving the core issues of an Israeli-Palestinian permanent peace agreement. An American official who met with Abbas in Washington said that the latter was deeply disappointed by the administration's unwillingness to pressure Israel on this issue. Abbas' visit to Washington was a first stop in a political campaign he has launched with the aim of lambasting Israel on two issues - continued construction in settlements, and what he terms "major gaps on the borders issue." Advertisement According to a political source in Jerusalem, Abbas decided two weeks ago to take up this critical line against Israel with the idea of pushing it during his Washington trip, at the donor states conference in London this weekend, at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit following Bush's visit to Israel later this month, and at international conferences this summer in Berlin and Moscow. "Abbas wants to press Israel at international conferences and vis-a-vis the Quartet, in the hope of creating a situation in which Israel stands alone against the world," the source said. "That's why he's eager to promote the Moscow conference as a sequel to Annapolis." According to officials who met with Abbas in D.C., he said he had asked Bush and Secretary of State Rice to intervene more actively in the negotiations and press Israel on the borders issue. However, there are evidently differences of opinion between Abbas and Ahmed Qureia, who is conducting the negotiations with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who has indicated positive progress in the talks. Abbas said there is disagreement over what constitutes a 100 percent of the territory with respect to the West Bank, with an emphasis on the Latrun region, parts of the Jordan Valley near the Dead Sea and areas surrounding Jerusalem. Abbas took issue with Israel's wanting to hold on to eight percent of the West Bank, in a territorial exchange, which would enable it to keep the major settlement blocs. The Palestinians are demanding that the border follow the 1967 lines, with border adjustments of no more than two percent of West Bank land. An adviser to Abbas, Yasser Abed Rabbo, said at a Washington briefing hosted by the Brookings Institute that Israeli officials tell Palestinians they want "border changes based on demographic, geographic and security issues, a hint that they want the Jordan Valley." Abed Rabbo added that this could leave Palestinians with a state resembling "a slice of Swiss cheese." Abbas' Washington visit ended in failure, which he himself admitted to reporters for the international media. The responses Abbas got from the Bush administration were mostly negative. The American message was that the administration is pleased with the pace of negotiations and does not intend to intervene with guidelines. Officials who met with Abbas in Washington also said Abbas had not brought along any political proposal of his own regarding the core issues, and had no clear answer when asked by the Americans. "It was as though he had arrived without a real agenda and without preparing," one official said. "It looks like the internal problems in the PA and the fight against Hamas are causing him to get cold feet," he added. Related articles: Abbas: I failed in U.S., no progress in peace talks Cease-fire talks / They can start packing at the Muqata Abbas asks Bush to keep closer eye on settlement expansion Bookmark to del.icio.us   Clear, present danger Survey : 52% of youth believe Israel faces existential threat. Feeling guilty Europe's criticism of Israel is more than just anti-Semitism.   1.   Like Arafat,Abbas has nothing to offer. 05:30  |  Sam 01/05/08   2.   What should a Pal State look like? Gaza? 07:30  |  Nick W 01/05/08   3.   Bush is a brain dead Zombie 07:57  |  Atoo 01/05/08   4.   The US would be well advised to end the ?peace process? ... 08:09  |  Jean Van Daem 01/05/08   5.   Abbas who? 08:36  |  Nora 01/05/08   6.   Lessons learned 11:09  |  Shimon Cleopas 01/05/08   7.   We THree Kings of Orient are... 11:10  |  Shimon Cleopas 01/05/08   8.   And Who Would Honestly and Democratically Govern these thugs? 14:39  |  Yossi 01/05/08   9.   Sometimes Palestinians act like children 16:04  |  Raymond in DC 01/05/08

Read & React IDF chief: We take calls for Israel's destruction seriously Responses: 115 Israel Harel: Jewish guilt over Gaza deaths weakens us in fight for Israel's existence Responses: 138 Hamas TV: 'Satanic Jews' planned, perpetrated Holocaust Responses: 87 Palestinians: IDF kills 62-year-old Gazan; 9 Qassams hit Negev Responses: 58 Mofaz, at Yale: Iran could have nuke bomb technology this year Responses: 29 Rosner's Domain Talking about war with Iran is not necessarily bad Ziad Asali: The urgency of settlement freeze Harry Potter, nice Jewish boy (WTR) Poll: truce with Hamas, good or bad? Is Israel finished? five questions More Headlines 20:24 IDF chief at Auschwitz: We take calls for Israel's destruction seriously 21:17 Police summon PM for urgent questioning under caution 17:34 Hamas TV claims 'Satanic Jews' planned, perpetrated Holocaust 21:12 Ma'aleh Adumim mayor: I got impression that gov't plans to divide J'lem 16:36 South Africa withdraws request to host 'Durban 2' conference 20:07 Top U.S. official: America would look favorably on PA request for additional funding 12:03 Son gets Dad's Auschwitz tattoo on own arm 16:27 Palestinians: IDF kills 62-year-old Gazan; 9 Qassams hit Negev 14:12 Jihad: We won't sign cease-fire, but won't be first to violate it 17:53 Condoleezza Rice returns to the Mideast on Saturday 19:23 Two children and one senior citizen die in separate car accidents 16:38 Erekat: Abbas 'doing very, very well' after heart procedure Previous Editions Select Day 30 apr 29 apr 28 apr 27 apr 25 apr 24 apr 23 apr 22 apr 21 apr 20 apr 18 apr 17 apr

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