Radio: Jordan's King Abdullah Meets Sharon in Israel

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Mar 18, 11:28 pm ET
http://news.excite.com/world/article/id/392090|world|03-18-2004::23:31|reuters.html

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Jordan's King Abdullah paid a surprise visit to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's ranch to discuss Sharon's plans to disengage from the Palestinians, Israel radio said Friday.
The Jordanian monarch flew into Israel by helicopter on Thursday and spent several hours in talks with Sharon before returning home, the radio said. It was Sharon's first meeting with an Arab leader since a Middle East summit last year.

The radio said that King Abdullah and Sharon also discussed Israel's controversial West Bank barrier. Israel says the project has stopped Palestinian suicide bombers from reaching its cities. Palestinians say the barrier is a land grab aimed at denying them a viable state.

Sharon has threatened to disengage unilaterally from the Palestinians, including the evacuation of Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip, should a U.S.-backed peace "road map" fail.

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