Arab Ally Snubs Bush Amid 'Unprecedented Hatred' for US

[G_j]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,4906378-103681,00.html
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0421-02.htm

Published on Wednesday, April 21, 2004 by the Guardian/UK

Arab Ally Snubs Bush Amid 'Unprecedented Hatred' for US

by Ewen MacAskill in Jerusalem and Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington

A growing rift between America and the Arab world was exposed yesterday when two Middle Eastern allies delivered damaging rebuffs to President George Bush's policies in the region.

King Abdullah of Jordan flew home from the US after abruptly cancelling a meeting planned for today with the president in Washington. The king's move came as the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, said there was more hatred of Americans in the Arab world today than ever before.

King Abdullah and Mr Mubarak are two of the most moderate leaders in the Middle East and the two normally closest to the US.

King Abdullah's cancellation was in retaliation for Mr Bush's support last week for a plan by the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, in which he offered to pull out of Gaza in return for US recognition of illegal settlements on the West Bank and an end of the right of 3.6 million Palestinians to return to Israel.

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[jean]

1. King Abdullah rocks - so do many in his cabinet. Thoughtful, intelligent -

something we've forgotten about