Jordan's King, Bush Discuss Peace Process

WASHINGTON — Jordan's King Abdullah II told President Bush yesterday that stalled negotiations between Palestinian Arabs and Israelis should be based on "clear grounds and fixed timetables" as America pushes to reach a Middle East peace agreement by next January. Mr. Bush, beginning two days of Middle East diplomacy at the White House, met with the king over breakfast, who arrived and left within an hour. Later, Mr. Abdullah met with the Palestinian Arab president, Mahmoud Abbas, who also came to Washington to see Mr. Bush. They'll meet today. The Palestinians and Israelis remain far apart on peace negotiations, and Mr. Abbas seeks American help to move things forward, his spokesman said. "The gaps are still there," said Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina. "The Palestinian and Israeli positions are still far from each other. That requires American intervention."

There was no immediate readout of the talks from the White House, but the Jordanian Embassy said Abdullah stressed the importance of U.S. involvement.