Abbas Takes Arafat's Place as White House Guest

[I AM SPARTACUS]

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/politics/politics-mideast-usa.html

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Filed at 1:22 a.m. ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas takes the place of his mentor President Yasser Arafat as the Palestinian guest in the White House on Friday, initiating a new phase in Palestinian relations with the United States.

Arafat, who has been cooped up for months in the West Bank town of Ramallah, has not been to Washington since President Bush took office in January 2001. Bush declared him persona non grata last year and has now pinned his plans for Middle East peace on Abbas, better known as Abu Mazen. It is Abu Mazen's first visit to the United States since taking office in April and starting to carry out the peace plan known as the ``road map,'' which foresees an independent Palestinian state by 2005 living in peace with Israel.

The plan has run into disputes over which side should do what next. Abu Mazen wants Israel to release thousands of Palestinian prisoners, while Israel wants Abu Mazen to close down Palestinian militant groups.

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[papau]

1. The PA threat is we will go back to Arafat unless ....... - if US folds?

Are the folks moving Bush's mouth good enough to see the bluff - and if not a bluff - to realize they have nothing to save by falling for this threat?

The road map discussion should be on road map topics for this stage - not on final settlement - I get my way or the highway - talks set for 05.

They did not let Israel go into the 05 right of return talks in 03 - why would they let the PA do so on release of folks?