Dear Readers
Here is the digest for November 9, 2004

1- U.S., EU Met to Discuss Road Map Days After Bush was Elected
2- Mubarak Has New Initiatives to Revive Peace Talks

1- U.S., EU Met to Discuss Road Map Days After Bush was Elected
IMEMC & Agencies, November 9, 2004

A senior Bush administration official said U.S. and EU officials met
on Friday at the White House to discuss efforts to revive the "road
map" as new realities are emerging following the critical illness of
Arafat. (Reuters)

Friday's meeting, which was only revealed publicly on Monday, was
attended by French, German, British and other European Union officials
and came one day after President George W. Bush promised to push in a
second term to revive Middle East peace talks.

One diplomatic source called it a "brain-storming" session to
"coordinate and exchange views," adding, "there was no conclusion."

The Middle east road map plan is expected to be a major focus of talks
this week between Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Blair
has been pressing his American ally to make the Middle East peace
process a higher priority.

"If Arafat dies, there will be new realities in the Middle East and it
is incumbent on the United States to recognize and be prepared to
respond to those new realities," a senior Bush administration official
said.

Officials said Washington's response would depend on who takes over
for Arafat.

The Bush administration has also signaled a willingness to increase U.
S. economic ties with the Palestinian Authority.

The U.S. joined Israel in efforts to marginalize Palestinian President
Yasser Arafat, consequently, against the will of the EU, pushed aside
the road map.

The EU repeatedly criticized the U.S. for marginalizing Arafat and the
EU rule in the Middle East.

Several EU leaders openly expressed interest in playing a significant
rule in the Middle East, describing the region as vital to European
security and interests.

Israel stood firmly against European involvement in Middle East
diplomatic efforts, calling Europe to limit its rule in the economical
domain.
The ongoing changes in the PA leadership structure in the absence of
Arafat encouraged the EU to press for the revival of the road map; the
exact issue that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon worked hard to
avoid, therefore, presented his unilateral disengagement plan.


2- Mubarak Has New Initiatives to Revive Peace Talks
George Rishmawi-IMEMC & Agencies, November 9, 2004

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, is seeking a renewal of the
political activity on the basis of the road map, said Egyptian
newspaper Al-Ahram.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz said in its online edition, that Mubarak
spoke last week with Jordanian King Abdullah, and with Syrian Foreign
Minister Farouk Shar'a Monday about his intentions and had their
aggreement on them.

In a similar conversation between Mubarak and 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 stressed that the Quartet should have an active role in the
Peace Process not an observer only role.

A Quartet session is expected after the Sharm el Sheikh conference on
Iraq, slated for November 23.

On Monday, Mubarak revealed information that the Palestinian factions
will meet in Egypt to discuss situation in the near future and ways to
revive the Peace Process, and seeks a Palestinian-Israeli cease fire
and to get Israel approval that the disengagement plan becomes part of
the Road Map.

The Palestinians - including Hamas and Islamic Jihad - have agreed to
the meeting with Mubarak.

Apparently, 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 Ariel Sharon's Bureau, testing Israeli responses to the
cease-fire idea, who gave a positive response.

Mubarak: "Palestinian Factions to meet in Egypt for Post-Arafat
Arrangements
The Egyptian President Hussni Mubarak revealed that Palestinian
factions are to meet in Egypt soon for the Post-Arafat arrangements,
said the Secretary General on the ruling National Democratic Party
Safwat Al-Sharif, on Monday.

Mubarak told the Egyptian Parliament, "The Palestinian Factions must
meet, and we will help arrange for their meeting, most probably, the
meeting will take place in Egypt and it will deal with issues related
to running the country and the Peace Process."

"President Arafat is still alive, and God is capable of doing
everything. We have to plan, and asses the situation, however, it is
not appropriate to talk about the President's death or the burial
site, we have to respect the feelings of the Palestinians," Mubarak
said in response to question about the post-Arafat era in the
Parliament's meeting.

Al-Sharif expressed Mubarak's hopes that the Middle East conflict will
have more attention by the American Administration in the second term
for George W. Bush in office.

"I think the Middle East issues will have more attention and
activities by the Americans, especially the Palestinian question.
There might be more help and more efforts to be spent to go on with
the peace process. There were some "complications" in the past, but I
think there will be a better future." Mubarak said in a reference to
the September 11, attacks and the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq.

The President said, Israel carried out military offensive in the
Palestinian areas while the Americans are busy with the presidential
elections.

Bush promised last week that he will try to revive the peace talks ad
to work to realize the goal of establishing a Palestinian state in his
second term as President, as stated in the Road Map.

In his first term, Bush refused to meet with Arafat and he supported
annexing the large settlement blocs to Israel and approved the
proposed route of the wall by Israel in the Bush-Sharon summit on
April 14, of this year in exchange with the Sharon's highly debatable
unilateral disengagement plan