Abbas fighting for political life in US

PRIME Minister Mahmoud Abbas could be ousted by the Palestinian parliament unless he returns from Washington with substantial concessions from Israel, the Palestinian information minister said yesterday.

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.