Mubarak seeks new diplomatic initiatives [preparing to railroad Israel?]
By Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz Correspondent 9 November 2004
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/499363.html

[IMRA: The beauty of the roadmap is that it does not actually require
Palestinian compliance. Instead the Quartet is to decide if the performance
of the Palestinians can be considered sufficient, as compared to Israeli
activities, to "progress" through the stages of the roadmap.Thus, even if
the evidence is overwhelming that the Palestinians have not fulfilled their
obligations, the Quartet can make the political decision to ignore the
truth, claiming that "objectionable" Israeli activities offset Palestinian
noncompliance.]

Yasser Arafat's declining health and the re-election of President George W.
Bush has sparked new diplomatic initiatives from Egyptian President Hosni
Mubarak, who is seeking a renewal of the political activity on the basis of
the road map.

Mubarak spoke last week with Jordanian King Abdullah, and with Syrian
Foreign Minister Farouk Shara Monday, and in a conversation with French
President Jacques Chirac, the two reached the conclusion that the
international quartet should be convened as soon as possible - and certainly
before the January 20 inauguration of Bush's second term.

Mubarak wants the creation of an international mechanism managed by the
quartet that would take an active role in the process and not merely an
observer's role. The quartet session is anticipated after the Sharm el
Sheikh conference on Iraq, slated for November 23. Egyptian sources said
Monday that Mubarak's initiative has the backing of "the highest levels of
the American administration."

Mubarak plans to call in the heads of the Palestinian factions to advance a
stable cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinians and needs Israel's
approval that the cease-fire and the disengagement plan become part and
parcel of the road map. The Palestinians - including Hamas and Islamic
Jihad - have agreed to the meeting with Mubarak.

Mubarak also wants to see progress on the Israeli-Syrian track, after he won
a green light from Syrian President Bashar Assad to mediate between Syria
and the U.S. to convince Washington (and through it, Jerusalem) of Assad's
sincerity and seriousness.

According to Egyptian sources, Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman has
been in touch with top-ranking Israeli officials in the Prime Minister's
Bureau, testing Israeli responses to the cease-fire idea.

The sources said Israel's response was "positive and encouraging," but made
no mention of a timetable. Suleiman and Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abu
Gheit are due in Israel on Thursday to promote the Mubarak plan.

Egypt wants to prevent the creation of a political vacuum in Palestinian
politics and is pleased so far by the active role played by Mahmoud Abbas,
the PLO secretary general.

As for Arafat, Egypt does not object to his body going to the territories
through Egypt instead of Jordan, where there is concern about mass street
demonstrations in case of a funeral procession in Amman.