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UPDATE 5-Bush says committed to Middle East peace efforts
Reuters: [2008-05-17 19:23:00]
(Updates throughout with Bush, Abbas, Gheit comments)
By Matt Spetalnick and Tabassum Zakaria
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, May 17 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush, responding to Arab dismay about his praise for Israel, said on Saturday he was confident a deal on Palestinian statehood could be reached before he leaves office.
Despite scepticism over his chances of securing a peace agreement by the end of his term in January, Bush expressed optimism that a deal could be done.
Speaking after a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Bush said he told Abbas that he was "absolutely committed" to working with Palestinians and Israelis to get a Palestinian state defined.
"I do so for a couple of reasons. One, it breaks my heart to see the vast potential of the Palestinian people really wasted," he said.
"It'd be an opportunity to end the suffering that takes place in the Palestinian territories," Bush said. "And the second reason I'm for it is because it's the only way for lasting peace."
Palestinians say the Israeli occupation in the West Bank has created great hardship for them.
Abbas did not mention Bush's speech to Israel's parliament on Thursday in which he heaped praise on Israel but made only one reference to Palestinians' aspirations for a state of their own.
"We know very well that you personally as well as your administration are committed to reach peace before the end of 2008," Abbas said. "We are delighted to continue our engagement with you."
Bush, who will address Palestinian issues in a speech Sunday to the World Economic Forum, said the creation of a Palestinian state would be "an opportunity to end the suffering in the Palestinian territories."
ANNIVERSARY VISIT
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak had raised the issue of Bush's speech to the Knesset in a meeting earlier on Saturday.
"We detect on the American side some optimism and we told them that we have the same information but it is results that will reveal whether this progress which the parties speak of is real," Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit told reporters.
"Time will tell how able the U.S. administration is to achieve its objectives but we must keep trying. We cannot leave the Palestinians in this tragic situation which we see in Gaza, or the West Bank," he said.
On the way from the airport on the last leg of his Middle East tour, Bush's motorcade passed a "peacemakers" mural on the side of the road, a reminder of past efforts on diplomacy in the region by his predecessors.
Bush's visit to Israel to celebrate its 60th anniversary raised fresh doubts in the Arab world over his ability to act as an even-handed broker between Israel and the Palestinians.
He hailed Israel as a "homeland for the chosen people" and pledged that Israelis could forever count on American support against enemies like Hamas and Iran.
Abbas, who wants Bush to put more pressure on Israel, has little leverage and is weak at home, governing only in the West Bank while the Islamists of Hamas control Gaza.
Israeli Prme Minister Ehud Olmert is also on the ropes, facing a corruption scandal that could force his resignation and possibly derail the peace process altogether.
Bush's Middle East tour, his second this year, follows a U.S.-hosted conference in Annapolis, Maryland, in November where Israeli and Palestinian leaders pledged to try to reach a peace agreement by the end of Bush's term.
Since then, talks have bogged down over Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank and violence in and around the Gaza Strip, where Hamas cross-border rocket fire has triggered a tough Israeli military response.
(Additional reporting by Jonathan Wright; Editing by Keith Weir) ((Reuters Messaging: matt.spetalnick.reuters.com@reuters.net; +1 202 898 8300, fax +1 202 898 8383))
Keywords: BUSH MIDEAST/
WRAPUP 5-Lebanese leaders tackle core issues at Qatar talks
Reuters: [2008-05-17 17:25:00]
* Committee makes progress on election law
* Sheikh Hamad holds consultations on government set-up
(Adds details)
By Nadim Ladki
DOHA, May 17 (Reuters) - Rival leaders tackled divisive issues at the heart of Lebanon's political crisis on Saturday at Qatari-mediated talks aimed at pulling their country back from the brink of civil war.
Government and opposition leaders left a conference room separately in the morning, after 90 minutes of tense talks ending a standoff that has paralysed the government for 18 months and left Lebanon with no president since November.
Delegates said a six-member committee established at that session and asked to lay a framework for a new election law had already made progress.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani is holding consultations to bring rival leaders closer to a deal on the framework for a new government.
"The impression, thank God, from the session, shows the desire among all the factions to reach an understanding ... that will bring us to the beginning of a solution to this crisis," Prime Minister Fouad Siniora told Voice of Lebanon radio.
"We have to have faith and trust that we will do the impossible until we find solutions to this difficult stage that Lebanon has faced the past two weeks."
On Thursday, Arab mediators reached a deal to end Lebanon's worst internal fighting since the 1975-1990 civil war and create a framework for the talks hosted by Qatar.
The clashes killed 81 people and worsened sectarian tensions between Shi'ites loyal to Iranian-backed Hezbollah and Druze and Sunni followers of the U.S.-supported ruling coalition.
Washington blames Syria and Iran for Hezbollah's brief seizure of parts of Beirut last week which forced the government to rescind two decisions that had triggered the escalation.
The opposition has demanded more say in a cabinet controlled by factions opposed to Syrian influence in Lebanon.
The ruling coalition's refusal to yield to the opposition's demand for veto power in cabinet triggered the resignation of all Shi'ite ministers in November 2006, crippling a political system build around the delicate sectarian balance.
HEZBOLLAH WEAPONS
Power-sharing in a new government and the basis of an election law are the core issues on the agenda. The ruling coalition also raised the matter of Hezbollah's weapons after the anti-Israel group turned its guns against political rivals.
Delegates said politicians from the Western-backed camp and Hezbollah had got into a heated debate over the prickliest issue and the one that led to the recent clashes -- Hezbollah's arms.
Sheikh Hamad intervened to end that debate, which he said should be postponed until after a deal is clinched to end the political stalemate and allow for the election of a president.
Hezbollah says its arms are meant to protect Lebanon against its Israeli foe. Opponents, trounced in the fighting, argue they undermine the sovereignty of the state.
"There is a real will on all sides; everyone lost with what happened. The winner (Hezbollah) is the bigger loser, because it opened up the important issue of the use of weapons," said Michel Pharaon, a minister in the U.S.-backed government.
"It is imperative that there be discussions on the sovereignty of the state ..."
There has been no deadline set for the talks but some politicians said a deal could be reached within a few days.
"The issue is not simple," government minister Ahmad Fatfat said. "Everyone will work day and night to reach a solution."
Syria, which backs the opposition and is an ally of Iran, said it supported the Qatari-led Arab League initiative. The anti-Damascus factions have long accused the opposition of seeking to restore Syrian domination over Lebanon, which ended in 2005 when Syria withdrew its troops in the face of international pressure and Lebanese protests.
Saudi Arabia, a strong backer of the ruling coalition, also stated its support for the deal.
A deal would lead to the election of army commander General Michel Suleiman as president. Both sides have accepted his nomination for a post reserved for a Maronite Christian in Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing system. (Additional reporting by Yara Bayoumy in Beirut, Writing by Nadim Ladki and Lin Noueihed) ((for a factbox outlining the disputes, click on [nL16555975]))
Keywords: LEBANON/
Jordan says pirates attack ship off Somalia
Reuters: [2008-05-17 17:18:00]
AMMAN, May 17 (Reuters) - Jordanian authorities lost contact with a Jordanian-flagged ship off Somalia on Saturday and suspect it was attacked by pirates, a Jordanian official said on Saturday.
"It is believed that the ship was subjected to piracy," Jordan's state news agency Petra quoted Minister of Transportation Alaa Batayneh as saying.
He said the ship "Victoria", owned by a United Arab Emirates company, was carrying 4,200 tons of sugar from Denmark in humanitarian assistance to the Somali capital Mogadishu.
Authorities lost contact with the ship while it was making its way from India to Mogadishu. The crew of around 12 people included Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi and Tanzanian nationalities, Batayneh said.
Piracy is common in the waters off Somalia.
Under an agreement with Jordan, Denmark provides protection to ships carrying the Jordanian flag in Somali waters.
Last month four countries introduced a draft resolution at the U.N. Security Council urging maritime powers to fight piracy off Somalia's coast and authorizing them to arrest pirates in Somali waters.
The resolution is aimed at combating a surge in ship hijackings for ransom in the waters off the coast of lawless Somalia that have made them one of the world's most dangerous shipping zones. (Writing by Dina al-Wakeel; editing by Philippa Fletcher; Amman Newsroom +9626 4623776)
Keywords: JORDAN SOMALIA/SHIP
WRAPUP 4-Lebanese leaders tackle core issues at Qatar talks
Reuters: [2008-05-17 16:23:00]
* Committee to lay framework for electoral law
* Qatar's Sheikh Hamad holds consultations
* Issue of Hezbollah's weapons postponed
(Adds quotes, details)
By Nadim Ladki
DOHA, May 17 (Reuters) - Lebanon's rival leaders tackled divisive issues at the heart of their political crisis on Saturday at Qatari-mediated talks aimed at pulling their country back from the brink of a new civil war.
Government and opposition leaders left the conference room at a Doha hotel separately, after 90 minutes of tense talks chaired by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani.
But rival delegates said they agreed to form a six-member committee that would lay the framework for a new election law and, once that is achieved, move onto one of the most divisive issues on the agenda -- the framework of the government.
The committee was already meeting while Sheikh Hamad held side consultations to nudge rival leaders closer to a deal ending a crisis that has paralysed the government for 18 months and left Lebanon with no president since November.
Formal talks will resume later on Saturday.
"The impression, thank God, from the session, shows the desire among all the factions to reach an understanding ... that will bring us to the beginning of a solution to this crisis," Prime Minister Fouad Siniora told Voice of Lebanon radio.
"We have to have faith and trust that we will do the impossible until we find solutions to this difficult stage that Lebanon has faced the past two weeks."
On Thursday, Arab mediators reached a deal to end Lebanon's worst internal fighting since the 1975-1990 civil war and create a framework for the talks hosted by Qatar.
The clashes killed 81 people and worsened sectarian tensions between Shi'ites loyal to Iranian-backed Hezbollah and Druze and Sunni followers of the U.S.-supported ruling coalition.
Washington blames Syria and Iran for Hezbollah's brief seizure of parts of Beirut last week which forced the government to rescind two decisions that had triggered the escalation.
The opposition has demanded more say in a cabinet controlled by factions opposed to Syrian influence in Lebanon.
The ruling coalition's refusal to yield to the opposition's demand for veto power in cabinet triggered the resignation of all Shi'ite ministers in November 2006, crippling a political system build around the delicate sectarian balance.
HEZBOLLAH WEAPONS
Power sharing in a new government and the basis of an election law are the core issues on the agenda but the ruling coalition also raised the matter of Hezbollah's weapons after the anti-Israel group turned its guns against political rivals.
Delegates said politicians from the Western-backed camp and Hezbollah had got into a heated debate over the prickliest issue and the one that led to the recent clashes -- Hezbollah's arms.
Sheikh Hamad intervened to close that debate, which he said should be postponed until after a deal is clinched to end the political stalemate and allow for the election of a president.
Hezbollah says its arms are meant to protect Lebanon against its Israeli foe. Opponents, trounced in the fighting, argue that they undermine the sovereignty of the state.
"There is a real will on all sides; everyone lost with what happened. The winner (Hezbollah) is the bigger loser, because it opened up the important issue of the use of weapons," said Michel Pharaon, a minister in the U.S.-backed government.
"It is imperative that there be discussions on the sovereignty of the state ..."
There has been no deadline set for the talks but diplomats said understandings should be reached over the next few days.
Distrust between the two sides has been running high for months and diplomats said the main challenge for the hosts was to rebuild confidence between the rivals.
"The issue is not simple," government minister Ahmad Fatfat said. "Everyone will work day and night to reach a solution."
Syria, which backs the opposition and is an ally of Iran, said it supported the Qatari-led Arab League initiative.
The anti-Damascus factions have long accused the opposition of seeking to restore Syrian domination over Lebanon, which ended in 2005 when Syria withdrew its troops in the face of international pressure and Lebanese protests.
Saudi Arabia, a strong backer of the ruling coalition, also stated its support for the deal.
A deal would lead to the election of army commander General Michel Suleiman as president. Both sides have long accepted his nomination for a post reserved for a Maronite Christian in Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing system. (Additional reporting by Yara Bayoumy in Beirut, Writing by Nadim Ladki and Lin Noueihed) ((for a factbox outlining the disputes, click on [nL16555975]))
Keywords: LEBANON/
UPDATE 3-Zimbabwe's Tsvangirai delays return over plot-party
Reuters: [2008-05-17 15:05:00]
(Adds more Tsvangirai spokesman quotes, government on observers, background)
By Nelson Banya
HARARE, May 17 (Reuters) - Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Saturday postponed his expected return home to contest an election run-off after his party said it had discovered an assassination plot against him.
Movement for Democratic Change leader Tsvangirai has been out of Zimbabwe for more than a month and had been due to return from Europe on Saturday to campaign for the June 27 second round ballot against President Robert Mugabe.
"We have received information from a credible source concerning a planned assassination attempt against President Tsvangirai. We are not in a position to say whether this threat concerns the actions of the state or a non-state actor," spokesman George Sibotshiwe told Reuters.
"In light of this information, and on the strong recommendation of Mr Tsvangirai's security adviser, it has been decided that the president will not return to Zimbabwe today," he said from neighbouring South Africa, where he said Tsvangirai also was.
No one was immediately available for comment from the government or the police on the party's plot allegation.
Sibotshiwe said the MDC was holding consultations "at a very high level" within the regional Southern African Development Community group over the issue, and that Tsvangirai was keen to return home as soon as possible.
Tsvangirai won the first round on March 29, but not by enough votes to avoid a second round against Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe for nearly three decades.
The March elections were followed by widespread violence, which the MDC says left at least 40 of its supporters dead and scores of others injured. It accuses Mugabe's ZANU-PF party of a campaign of intimidation. ZANU-PF blames the opposition for the violence.
ZANU-PF lost control of parliament in the March elections for the first time since independence in 1980.
MUGABE CHARGES HOSTILE AXIS
Mugabe told a party conference on Friday the result had been "disastrous", and vowed he would not lose power to an opposition he said was backed by "a hostile axis of powerful foreign governments" and Western imperialists.
Zimbabweans hope the June poll will help end political and economic turmoil which has brought 165,000 percent inflation, 80 percent unemployment, chronic food and fuel shortages and sent a flood of refugees to neighbouring countries.
Earlier on Saturday, MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said an MDC rally scheduled in Zimbabwe's second city of Bulawayo on Sunday would go ahead, but would not say whether Tsvangirai would be back in the country in time to address it.
The opposition scored a small victory on Friday when a court ordered police not to interfere with the rally, which the force had banned.
State media on Saturday quoted Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Mumbengegwi as saying Zimbabwe would not invite any new foreign observers for the presidential run-off and that only those who monitored the March 29 poll could return.
"We have already invited observers. The invitations we sent at the beginning are still valid," Mumbengegwi told the Herald newspaper. "There would be no further invitations."
Tsvangirai had previously called for unrestricted access for international observers to the poll, but told Reuters this week that he would contest the vote even if only regional observers could be present, as in the March election.
On his return home, Tsvangirai was expected to brief opposition members of parliament on his tour of Africa and Europe and to underline their role in control of the legislature.
Tsvangirai said on Friday he would take part in the fresh vote, but told reporters at a conference in Belfast that violence had to end. (Editing by Alison Williams) ((stella.mapenzauswa@thomsonreuters.com; +27 11 775 3161; Reuters Messaging: stella.mapenzauswa.reuters.com@reuters.net))
(For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: http://africa.reuters.com/)
Keywords: ZIMBABWE ELECTION/
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