Abbas, Kouchner praise Olmert's statements on pullout; right-wing party calls for trying him

Bush tells Abbas he's sad because Palestinian state won't be born during his time

Presidents Mubarak, Saleh discuss regional developments

Saudi Arabia calls in Vienna for monitoring Israeli nuke facilities

Europe deals carefully with Iran's hints to halt uranium enrichment

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas affirmed that he will continue to conduct peace negotiations with whatever leadership emerges in Israel with the aim of establishing an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

The comments came after a joint press conference with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner in the central West Bank city of Ramallah after the latter toured Jenin ahead of a briefing with EU foreign ministers later this week in France.

“We will continue with the negotiating process with the current Israeli leadership headed by Ehud Olmert or any other leadership formed and headed by Tzipi Livni," said Abbas. He added that he is confident that Livni will work with him on the negotiations, since they are in the interests of Israelis as well as Palestinians.

Abbas also called for the countries of the EU to exert all efforts to help push forward the peace process in the region with the aim of achieving a two state solution.

A stronger stance from the EU, said Abbas, would to complete the American role as sponsor of the peace process.

During Kouchner's visit he spoke with Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad about the conciliation talks currently underway in Cairo between warring Palestinian factions.

Abbas praised the role Egypt has taken saying that he felt sure an agreement was within reach. "Cairo is making significant efforts in restore unity among the Palestinians. When these efforts are made the whole issue will be transferred to the Arab league.”

Once unity is achieved, said Abbas, he hopes to receive Kouchner in the Gaza Strip.

De facto government officials in Gaza invited Kouchner to the Strip, saying that if the EU was to help in the Palestinian situation, they would have to know what all Palestinians are hoping for. It would thus be necessary, said Hamas officials, for the Frenchman to visit the Gaza Strip.

For his part Kouchner praised the Palestinian leadership and affirmed that the "on the ground" situation has changed a great deal thanks to the efforts made by the Palestinian government.

Improvements like those he saw in Jenin, said Kouchner, will help restore the confidence of the Palestinian people.

He also praised the current security situation, and affirmed that the EU would not give up its role in the peace process. He said that he felt that incumbent Israeli leader Livni would continue the peace process with Abbas, and recognized the courage Olmert showed in recent comments with regards to the necessity of Israel withdrawing from the West Bank, Gaza, Golan Heights and East Jerusalem.

U.S. President George W. Bush met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas vowed to continue working on the settlement of Palestinian-Israel conflict before Bush's departure from office early next year.

I've got four more months left in office, and I'm hopeful that the vision that you and I have worked on will come to pass," Bush said of the Middle East peace process while having talks with Abbas at the White House.

Expressing his appreciation of Abbas' determination to build a Palestinian state, Bush said that the United States will continue its cooperation with the Palestinian leader on security matters.

"We're working hard with you on helping the international community help you get the economy going in the West Bank," he said.

In response, Abbas said that the Palestinian Authorities will "continue to keep the hope alive in order to reach a political solution for our issue and for the Middle East."

"Hope will remain, Mr. President. We cannot live without hope. We will continue to work to achieve and realize that hope," the Palestinian leader noted.

Under the auspices of Bush, Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert revived their peace talks in September 2007 after a seven-year suspension. The two sides set a goal of reaching a final peace accord by the end of 2008.

However, little tangible progress has since been achieved, leading to lowering expectations for the two neighbors to realize the ambitious goal.

Israeli President Shimon Peres said in New York that Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are unlikely to reach a peace deal before next year.

"Apparently we shall not conclude it by the end of the year but we do believe we made a little progress, and there is a very fair chance to conclude it during the next year," Peres told reporters while attending the annual ministerial meeting of the UN General Assembly.

The US Defense Department has approved the sale of 25 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters (JSF) to the Israeli Air Force (IAF), the official Israel Radio reported.

According to the report, the deal is valued at $15.2 billion and includes an option to buy 50 additional bombers in the coming years. Each plane is estimated to cost between $70 million and $80 million. The report quoted a Pentagon official as saying that the sale of the stealth jets to Israel was in America’s national interests and was meant to ensure that Israel maintained its qualitative edge over armies of neighboring countries. A department in the Pentagon, responsible for cooperation with foreign powers, reportedly relayed a message to Congress announcing the approval of the deal, where it is expected to be confirmed within 30 days, before the Nov. 4 US presidential elections.

The sale would be the first to a country outside the US and eight partner nations that are collaborating on the F-35. The jet is still under development and is not yet in service, but the US plans to eventually acquire 2,458 planes for the army, Marines and air force at a cost of $300 billion.

The F-35 was designed as a replacement for a range of warplanes, including the F-16, which is a large component of many air forces worldwide. Countries such as Spain, Singapore and Japan also have expressed interest in the F-35.

Israel has said it plans to buy a fleet of F-35s as it upgrades its military technology. The first batch of 25 would be the variant of F-35 designed for conventional takeoff from military airfields, but the later 50 could include a version that can land vertically.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement that the proposed sale will help Israel “develop and maintain a strong self-defense capability.” It also said that sale of the technologically advanced fighter won’t upset the balance of military power in the region.

The decision to consider the F-35B, a short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft, was made due to an understanding that in a time of war, Israeli bases and runways will be heavily targeted by enemy missiles.

The United States has deployed to Israel a high-powered X-band radar aimed at improving its defense against an Iranian missile attack, Defense News weekly reported over the weekend.

According to the report, quoting American and German sources, more than a dozen aircraft, including C-5s and C-17s, helped with the September 21 delivery of the AN/TPY-2 Transportable Radar Surveillance/Forward Based X-band Transportable (FBX-T), its ancillary components and some 120 US European Command (EUCOM) personnel to the Nevatim Air Base in the Negev.

Sunday Telegraph says proposed deal between Moscow, Tehran 'causing huge alarm' in US and Israel. 'Purchase of S-300 missiles would 'change the game', significantly improve Iranian defenses against any air strike on its nuclear sites, Pentagon official quoted as saying

The Raytheon-built FBX-T system is the same phased-array radar that was deployed to northern Japan with the US Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) in 2006, the report said. The high-powered, high-frequency, transportable X-band radar is designed to detect and track ballistic missiles soon after launch.

Ehud Olmert, Israel's outgoing prime minister, has said that Israel will have to leave much of east Jerusalem and allow Palestinians to form a state equal in size to the area of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

In an interview with the Yediot Ahronot newspaper Olmert also said that peace with Syria would require withdrawal from the Golan Heights.

"[I am saying] what no previous Israeli leader has ever said: we should withdraw from almost all of the territories, including in East Jerusalem and in the Golan Heights," he was quoted as saying.

Olmert resigned on September 21 amid corruption allegations and will officially step down once a new government has been formed.

Olmert and Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, agreed at a meeting in the United States last November to push for a comprehensive peace deal before the end of the year.

"I am not trying to justify retroactively what I did for 35 years. For a large portion of these years, I was unwilling to look at reality in all its depth," Olmert said.

"A decision has to be made. This decision is difficult, terrible, a decision that contradicts our natural instincts, our innermost desires, our collective memories, the prayers of the Jewish people for 2,000 years."

Peace talks between the two sides have stalled over the borders of a future Palestinian state, the future status of Jerusalem and the right to return of Palestinian refugees.

The construction of new Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Arab East Jerusalem, which Palestinians see as the capital of a future state, have also proved to be a major obstacle.

"I'd like see if there is one serious person in the State of Israel who believes it is possible to make peace with the Syrians without eventually giving up the Golan Heights"

According to Western and Palestinian officials, Olmert has previously proposed an Israeli withdrawal from some 93 per cent of the occupied West Bank. Israel pulled out of the Gaza Strip in 2005.

In exchange for settlement enclaves, Olmert has suggested handing over a desert territory adjacent to the Gaza Strip, as well as land on which to build a transit corridor between Gaza and the West Bank.

"We will leave a percentage of these territories in our hands, but will have to give the Palestinians a similar percentage, because without that there will be no peace," Olmert said in interview.

Olmert has previously argued that the issue of Jerusalem be considered at a later date because the difficulties in reaching an agreement.

But he said that giving up parts of the city was critical to securing Israel's security.

"Whoever wants to hold on to all of the city's territory will have to bring 270,000 Arabs inside the fences of sovereign Israel. It won't work," he said.

Saeb Erakat, a senior adviser to Abbas, said Israel must "translate these statements into reality" if it is serious about wanting to achieve a peace deal.

"We haven't seen these statements translated into a piece of paper, into a concrete offer," he told the AFP news agency, stressing that "the road to peace is through ending the occupation and [Israeli] settlements in the West Bank".

During his time in office, Olmert reopened indirect negotiations, through Turkey, with Syria after an eight-year freeze.

"I'd like see if there is one serious person in the State of Israel who believes it is possible to make peace with the Syrians without eventually giving up the Golan Heights," he said in the interview.

Israel annexed the territory in 1981, a move never recognized by the world community.

More than 18,000 Syrians, mostly Druze, are left from the Golan's original population of 150,000 people. The region now is home to nearly 20,000 Jewish settlers.

In response to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's statement, "Two states or Israel is finished," Knesset Member Dr. Aryeh Eldad (National Union) said, "Olmert must be removed, or Israel is finished."

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's declaration that the war in Lebanon will create new momentum for further West Bank pullouts was met by a harsh response on the part of right-wing parliamentarians as well as members of the PM's own Kadima party.

"The backing Olmert received (for the war) went to his head," Knesset Member Zvi Hendel (National Union) said in response to Olmert's comments, which seemed to stun rightist Knesset members. "How many missiles and rockets need to fall on the North and South in order for Olmert to understand that state security cannot be achieved through bragging…and splitting the nation?"

The Council of Jewish Communities in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip (Yesha), meanwhile, said in a statement that "the continuation of the blind rush to realignment provides terrorism with a backwind and encourages Nasrallah to continue until all his objectives are achieved. It appears Olmert is interested in breaking up the consensus around the war, while this tough time calls for finding the common denominator."

Israel Our Home Chairman Avigdor Lieberman was also quick to condemn Olmert, saying that "Just like the disengagement brought Hamas to power and led to the massive firing of Qassams on the South and the abduction of our soldiers, so would the realignment plan lead to the massive firing of thousands of missiles on central Israel communities and Jerusalem."

"Instead of wasting billions on a dubious diplomatic adventure, it's better to invest the money in rehabilitating the North and the communities that suffered immense economic damages," Lieberman said.

Meanwhile, members of Olmert's own Kadima party raised an eyebrow over the prime minister's timing. Party members who declined to be identified said "this is not the time to talk about realignment. First we should examine the war's results, and only then decide on our diplomatic course."

Elsewhere, National Religious Party Chairman Zevulun Orlev rejected Olmert's comments.

"Any intelligent person realizes that the war defeated realignment," Orlev said. "Olmert suffers from diplomatic blindness. It's a pity that at wartime the prime minister chooses to split the nation instead of uniting it."

Far-right activist Baruch Marzel also blasted the PM, charging that "it's about time Olmert stop thinking that he rules the world."

"The man doesn't learn from mistakes – realignment will lead to Qassam rockets on Kfar Saba and Netanya," Marzel said.

In Cairo, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and his visiting Yemeni counterpart Ali Abdullah Saleh stressed the importance of the continuation of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).

The two leaders said the Mideast peace negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel must go on "without any further delays," Egyptian presidential spokesman Suleiman Awwad said following their meeting.

Noting the importance of resuming final-status negotiations, the two leaders said the current U.S. administration has promised to create a favorable atmosphere for maintaining the talks, the state MENA news agency reported.

At the U.S.-hosted Annapolis peace conference on Mideast held last November, Israel and the Palestinians agreed to launch talks to solve the permanent status issues and to reach an agreement before the end of the year.

For his part, Saleh expressed his full support to the ongoing Egyptian meditation efforts to reach a Palestinian national reconciliation, said Awwad.

During the talks of the two presidents, they discussed the latest regional developments, particularly the Palestinian issue and Egyptian efforts to help end inter-Palestinian rift.

After the meeting with Mubarak, Saleh left Cairo wrapping up a three-day visit to Egypt.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) adopted 3/10/2008 an Egyptian draft resolution on the "Application of IAEA Safeguards in the Middle East" to ensure the region is totally free of weapons of mass destruction.

Egyptian Ambassador to Vienna Ihab Fawzy explained in his speech at the IAEA conference that Egypt was keen on holding intensive consultations on the draft resolution under discussion with all parties concerned including Israel.

Meanwhile, Minister of Electricity and Energy Hassan Younis said that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has singled out Egypt for its board of governors due to its key role in maintaining international peace.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Egypt's election for two-year term at the IAEA's board of governors to represent the continent of Africa come within the framework of Egypt's seriousness and respect to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty.

Meanwhile, Assistant Foreign Minister Ambassador Naela Gabr said the IAEA's choice of Egypt was due its credibility and vital role in preventing nuclear proliferation and disarmament

Saudi Arabia urged for forcing Israel into joining the nuclear safeguard system of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"The safeguards must be imposed on all world nuclear powers without exception," Saudi chief delegate to the UN agency Prince Turki Bin Saud said in his address to the ongoing 52nd General Conference of the U.N. nuclear watchdog.

The system should not stand in the way of the world countries to achieve economic development, he warned.

Prince Turki voiced hope that that current conference which kicked off, would be move helpful than the previous one in prevailing the safeguards system over the Middle East and alleviate the concerns of the countries of region over Israel's nuclear program.

The 145-member U.N. agency must avoid double standards in forcing all countries of the region "without exception" into accepting the comprehensive safeguards immediately in order to build confidence among them, he underscored.

The Saudi delegate noted that not all the nuclear powers including the signatories of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) met their commitments to the final communiqué of the NPT Revision Conference in 2000.

The non-nuclear countries have justified concerns over the nuclear arsenals of other countries and could be forced to seek military nuclear program, thus undermining the NPT system, he warned.

The use of double standards in the NPT application undermines the credibility of the treaty, Prince Turki added.

Iran's Ambassador to Paris Ali Ahani said that Iran is determined to continue its cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.

Talking to reporters from Islamic countries in Paris, he said the Islamic Republic of Iran has always close cooperation with inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

He added that the IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei has repeatedly verified non-diversion of Iranian nuclear program. Such reports from he IAEA chief are indication to transparency of Iran's nuclear activities, he added.

Ahani reiterated that all Iran's nuclear activities are under direct supervision of the UN nuclear agency.

According to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, enrichment is Iran's right and Tehran would by no means overlook its inalienable rights.

On the ongoing talks between Iran and the Group 5+1, he added that Iran is still waiting for the consensus to be reached between EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and representatives of the Group 5+1 on the questions and ambiguities raised by Iran regarding the EU proposed package of incentives.

Rejecting the anti-Iran accusations saying that the Islamic Republic of Iran is pursuing to produce nuclear weapons, the Iranian envoy said the Islamic Republic believes that nuclear weapons does not help security of the nuclear states.

Referring to Iran as a big and influential country in the region which plays a key role in the regional developments, he noted that Iran enjoys other deterrent means and is not in need of nuclear weapons.

As to France's stand on Iran, he regretted that Paris has taken hard-line after President Nicolas Sarkozy assumed presidency.

He said that Paris is following Washington on issues concerning the Middle East.

Iran's Ambassador to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Ali Asghar Soltanieh in a reaction to the recent French Foreign Ministry spokesman statement presented a list of broken promises by the western countries, including France.

Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, printed in London, recently quoted French Foreign Ministry Spokesman Eric Chevallier as saying Iran signed an agreement with Russia three years ago on provision of nuclear fuel for Bushehr Power Plant and it was a guarantee for activity of the plant.

Chevallier also discussed the issue of fuel guarantee and said 5+1 Group also proposed supplying nuclear fuel for Iran as a part of an agreement and Iran's envoy is informed about it.

Soltanieh told IRNA in Vienna on a history of 30 years of violation of the western countries in cases such as implementing nuclear agreement with Iran, Tehran reactor and enrichment agreement with the French Company Eurodif.

Such irresponsible behaviors of the nuclear fuel producers pushed Iran to rely just on itself, Soltanieh said.

He underlined request for suspension of enrichment has no technical, political and legal justification adding "Even if these countries want to compensate their past works and construct a power plant in Iran, there would be no confidence on them anymore.

Soltanieh went on to say, "So it is wise that Iran continues enrichment of uranium for producing emergency reserve fuel in case of interruption of fuel supply."

Suspension of enrichment has been a precondition for starting negotiation with Iran by members countries of Group 5+1, but Iran has always declared that it is ready to negotiate without any precondition

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said that Iran would not suspend its uranium enrichment even if the West guaranteed Iran to supply its needed fuel.

In a joint press conference with his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro, he regretted that several countries have failed to fulfill their commitments regarding Iran's peaceful nuclear activities in the past years.

Mottaki reiterated that Iran's peaceful nuclear program in the area of enrichment and fuel production for the nuclear power plant would continue until the country achieves self-sufficiency in that field.

After the Islamic Republic of Iran reaches self-sufficiency in nuclear fuel production, it will provide other countries with the atomic fuel, the Iranian foreign minister added.

According to the Majlis approvals, the government is duty bound to produce 1,000 mgw of nuclear energy, he said.