Abbas fighting for political life in US
The comments by Palestinian minister Nabil Amr underscored the great expectations among Palestinians for tomorrow’s meeting between President George W Bush and the politically beleaguered Mr Abbas.
Although violence has abated since Palestinian militant groups declared a temporary halt to attacks on Israelis on June 29, frustrations are building on the Palestinian side about the halting progress of the US-backed “road map,” a blueprint to lead to Palestinian statehood by 2005.
Israel has pulled out of parts of Gaza and the West Bank town of Bethlehem, but troops remain in other Palestinian towns.
Mr Amr said Mr Abbas would ask Mr Bush to press Israel for progress on these issues.
Israel says further progress is conditional on the Palestinian Authority dismantling and disarming militant groups, another step called for in the plan. Mr Abbas categorically refuses to do this for fear of sparking a civil war.
