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Saudis present new peace plan to Bush

CRAWFORD, Texas (CNN) -- President Bush repeated his call for Israel to withdraw from Palestinian territories Friday as the White House disclosed a new peace proposal offered by Saudi Arabia's crown prince.

"There has been some progress, but it's now time to quit it altogether. It's time to end this," Bush told reporters at his ranch in Texas.

Bush's latest demand for Israel to withdraw came after Israeli forces swept through four West Bank towns Friday. The President also asked House Republican leaders to postpone a vote on a congressional resolution supporting Israel.

At the same time, however, Bush said Friday that the United States has a unique relationship with Israel and would not allow that nation to be "crushed."

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The president's comments on the crisis in Middle East came a day after he met with Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, who presented Bush with an eight-part peace plan. On Friday, the White House described the plan as "constructive," but not entirely reflective of the U.S. approach to peace. Much of the plan has been put forward before by Saudis and other in the region.

Disagreements remain with Saudis

White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said disagreements remain between the Saudi and U.S. plans for peace, though there is significant overlap. The key difference, he said, is whether to deploy an international peacekeeping force in the region, something the Saudis support but Bush opposes.

In addition to peacekeeping forces, the Saudi plan calls for Israeli withdrawal from all Palestinian territories, for an end to the siege of Yasser Arafat's compound in Ramallah and aid to rebuild Palestinian refugee camps. It also calls for:

  • A renunciation of violence by all sides in the conflict
  • Political talks to resolve all issues between Palestinians and Israelis
  • An end to Israeli settlements
  • U.S. assistance in implementing U.N. Resolution 242, which was drafted in 1967 and calls on Israel to pull out of territories occupied in the Six-Day War in exchange for Arab recognition of Israel's right to live within secure borders.
  • Bush first called on Israel to pull back its forces nearly a month ago after initially giving tacit approval for Israel's West Bank military operation. Critics say the United States' often tough talk towards Israel is not re-enforced by tough U.S. action.

    "The Israelis are interpreting the conflicting signals from Washington as meaning that the president is actually comfortable with the way in which they are conducting their self-defense," said Martin Indyk, the former U.S. ambassador to Israel.

    The incursions have been widely condemned in the Arab world. Jordan's King Abdullah gave Secretary of State Colin Powell an earful during his recent visit to the region, and Prince Abdullah told the president Thursday that the United States must temper its support for Israel.

    Bush asks House to delay vote

    At the request of the White House, House Majority Whip Tom DeLay planned to postpone a vote on a congressional resolution supporting Israel.

    "The White House has asked, and so we're going to do that," DeLay spokesman Stuart Roy said Friday.

    The president is under pressure from pro-Israeli interests in Congress and from within his own administration pushing for unconditional support for Israel and its military operation to root out terrorist infrastructure.

    "It seems he's between a rock and hard place," Indyk said. "He's pulled from both directions and it appears for the moment that he's basically paralyzed in policy terms by these conflicting pressures."

    But State Department spokesman Richard Boucher disputed Indyk's assessment Friday.

    "There can't be any doubt of where the president stands, and that our efforts are all devoted to helping him further that policy," Boucher said.



     
     
     
     







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