Israel: Suspected suicide bombers arrested

Wednesday, July 23, 2003 - 11:44 AM

The Israeli military said it had arrested two suspected suicide bombers in the West Bank today, as Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas prepared to set off on a trip to Washington.

On Friday, Abbas will become the first Palestinian leader to visit the White House since President Bush came into office in 2001.

The two men arrested in Rai village, south-west of Jenin, were members of the violent Islamic Jihad militant group, the army said.

Israeli police were also looking for a missing soldier who was last seen getting off a bus in northern Israel on Monday. They said they had not determined whether he had been abducted.

Israeli security officials have repeatedly said they have intelligence warnings of Palestinian militants’ plans to kidnap Israeli soldiers.

Abbas and Bush will discuss Washington’s road map to peace in the Middle East, an ambitious plan that envisages an end to 33 months of fighting and the creation of a Palestinian state by 2005.

Abbas had an inconclusive summit on Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, their fourth meeting, leading to grumbling among Palestinians about Israel’s unbending stance and Abbas’ inability to achieve results.

Israel insists that before it can make moves, the Palestinians must crack down on the militant groups responsible for suicide bombings and other attacks that have killed hundreds of Israelis. Sharon meets Bush on July 29.

Abbas will face a vote of confidence by Palestinian MPs when he returns from Washington, the Palestinian information minister said today.

Nabil Amr said MPs would “convene after his return to discuss his progress on the political level” and “debate again giving him its confidence or not”.

He said failure to achieve progress with the road map would cause Abbas ”difficulties on the Palestinian street” and in the legislature.