Abbas to press Bush in bid for firm peace schedule

PALESTINIAN Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas will ask US President George W Bush to press Israel for a firm schedule of peace moves when the two leaders meet this week, a Palestinian lawmaker said yesterday.

Mr Abbas "cannot come back empty handed from Washington", said Palestinian legislator Saeb Erekat. "It's essential for Mr Bush to send Mr Abbas back with a comprehensive implementation plan ... especially timelines and monitors."

Mr Abbas's scheduled White House meeting on Friday will be the first in almost three years for a Palestinian leader and will be followed by Mr Bush's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on July 29.

Progress on implementing the US-backed roadmap peace plan is stalled. The plan a blueprint for ending violence and establishing a Palestinian state by 2005 calls on the sides to carry out their obligations in parallel. However, each is saying the other must move first.

Meanwhile, Israeli policemen shot dead an Israeli Arab motorist yesterday near a village close to the West Bank after mistaking him for a Palestinian militant preparing an attack, police said.

The sources said the border guards opened fire on a vehicle suspected of carrying Palestinian militants after the driver failed to obey orders to stop and tried to speed away. The driver was killed and a passenger managed to flee from the scene of the shooting near the village of Taibeh.