Mubarak, Bush Mull Palestine Issue Over Phone

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, March 31, 2002

Mubarak, Bush Mull Palestine Issue Over Phone

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Saturday had a phone talk with his U.S. counterpart George W. Bush on the worsening situation in the Palestinian lands, Egypt's official MENA news agency said.

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Saturday had a phone talk with his U.S. counterpart George W. Bush on the worsening situation in the Palestinian lands, Egypt's official MENA news agency said.

During the phone call, initiated by Bush, the two leaders "underlined the necessity of taking immediate steps to implement Saturday's U.N. resolution and reach an urgent solution to contain the situation," MENA said.

They also stressed the importance of keeping U.S. Mideast envoy Anthony Zinni in the region to help reach a ceasefire between the palestinian and Israeli and get Israeli troops to withdraw from thePalestinian lands.

Mubarak also urged Bush to personally intervene to help lift an Israeli siege on Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and calm down thetense situation in the Palestinian lands.

Earlier in the day, the U.N. Security Council adopted Resolution1402, calling on Israel to withdraw troops from Palestinian cities,including the West Bank city of Ramallah, where Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has been besieged by Israeli troops.

The resolution appeals to both Israel and the Palestinians to "move immediately to a "meaningful ceasefire," urging Israel "for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Palestinian cities, includingRamallah."

On Friday, Mubarak sent an urgent letter to Bush, demanding thatBush personally step in to help end Israel's attacks on Arafat's compound in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

"Mubarak asked for Bush's personal intervention to put an end toevents in the occupied Palestinian lands and the Israeli aggressionon Arafat to preempt the grave consequences of the developments," MENA quoted the letter as saying.

Israeli tanks rolled into Ramallah early Friday morning and Israeli soldiers took control of most of Arafat's compound in the city Friday afternoon.

Earlier Saturday, a Palestinian official said that Arafat, besieged by Israeli forces in a three-storey building in Ramallah, has no more contact with the outside world, with telephone lines cut and mobile phones out of power.

Questions?Comments? Click here

News Analysis: Tit-for-Tat Violence in Mideast Will Get Nowhere

Bush Exerts Lopsided Pressure on Arafat

Bush Speaks With World Leaders on Mideast Situation

>> Full Coverage