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US M
iddle East envoy William Burns paved the way yesterday for
President George W Bush's first hand-on foray into Arab-Israeli
peacemaking, at upcoming summits in Egypt and Jordan.
But with Burns' arrival in Cairo indicating summit preparations
were gathering pace, a leading Egyptian commentator warned against
"the illusion" that the US administration would finally act as an
impartial peace broker.
Burns, assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, was
to meet Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak early today in the Red Sea
resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, the venue for Tuesday's summit, Egyptian
sources said.
"Mr. Burns' talks will focus on all Arab and international issues,"
an official at the Egyptian government-run press center said.
A US embassy spokesperson said US officials who have been in Sharm
el-Sheikh for the past few days were involved in "very careful
preparations because it's an important summit".
Bush was to meet Mubarak and other Arab leaders in Sharm el-Sheikh
before flying across the Red Sea to Aqaba, Jordan for a summit with
Palestinian premier Mahmud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon, hosted by King Abdullah II.
Apart from Bush, Mubarak has also invited Abbas, Saudi Crown Prince
Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, Jordan's King Abdullah, King Hamad of
Bahrain and Morocco's King Mohammed VI to the summit, Mubarak's
office said.
On the agenda are "peace in the Middle East, the future of Iraq and
its stability, international efforts to fight terrorism and
economic cooperation", Mubarak's office said.
US officials who asked not to be named said they were not aware
Abbas would attend the summit in Egypt and added that the "main
issue" on the agenda will be the so-called "roadmap" for
peace.
The roadmap, drafted by the US, United Nations, European Union and
Russia, calls for an end to Israeli-Palestinian violence, a freeze
on Jewish settlements on Palestinian land and an Israeli troop
withdrawal.
Such moves are aimed at paving the way for a Palestinian state in
2005 that would live in peace with Israel.
It has been approved by the Palestinian cabinet and, less
wholeheartedly, by the Israeli government, which listed 14
reservations.
The Palestinian ambassador to Cairo, Mohammed Sobeih, said Abbas
would attend the summit, where he would urge Bush to help stop
Israeli attacks and ensure the "roadmap" is implemented
unchanged.
Sobeih said a surge in Israeli attacks and announcements of Jewish
settlements in the Palestinian territories undermined chances of
ending the 32-month cycle of violence and reviving the moribund
peace process.
He said "gestures of goodwill" were badly needed.
Sobeih warned that the summits were "the only chance now" to end so
much suffering on the Palestinian and Israeli sides.
In addition, he said the Palestinian Authority needed help in
overcoming a serious financial crisis stemming from the violence
and blockades in the territories.
Meanwhile, Salama Ahmed Salama, a columnist with the Egyptian
government newspaper Al-Ahram, warned against high
expectations.
"Many will fall into the illusion that the US administration will
take on its responsibilities and give new impetus to the roadmap to
start the peace process promised by the US president a year ago,"
he wrote.
"It would be absurd for some to get carried away by wild optimism,"
because of the history of peace negotiations.
He said former US president Bill Clinton's mediation had brought
the two sides to the brink of a final settlement only to see
"Israel (had) undermined everything in one move".
He warned Arabs not to expect the start of a free-flowing peace
process "because it comes late and after the war against Iraq, with
the feelings of defeat and frustration (the war created) in the
Arab world".
The Arabs can only view the US victory in Iraq as proof that
Washington "only mobilizes on Israel's behalf" because the fall of
Saddam Hussein removed a major threat to the Jewish state, he
wrote.
"The roadmap will not move if Sharon empties it of its meaning and
if the US helps it in this direction, under the pressure of time
and US elections" due next year, he said. – Sapa.
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