Mubarak, Arafat discuss 'explosive' Middle East situation

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak held a tete-a-tete talks with Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat. The two leaders, then, held a plenary session that was attended by Amr Moussa, Osama Al-Baz, Saeb Erekat, Nabil Abu Rdeineh and Zohdi Al-Qadra.

The two leaders discussed the outcome of Mubarak's talks with the Bush administration and Israel's expansion of settlement activities.

Emerging from a meeting with Arab League Secretary-General Esmat Abdel-Maguid, Arafat said he-was posted by President Mubarak on consultations he had with US President George W. Bush during his recent visit to Washington.

"President Hosni Mubarak's visit to the United States was a success, particularly as regards shoring up the peace process," said Arafat.

Arafat described his talks with President Hosni Mubarak very important as they dealt with Israel's air, ground and sea escalation against the Palestinians.

He said they had discussed Israel's sacrilege of Muslim and Christian shrines, closure of borders and the airport and freezing of Palestinian funds.

On the Palestinian leadership's stand in light of Israel's assassination of leading Palestinian figures, Arafat said, "We still respect the word we gave to the new US administration, and this hinges on how Israel would reply in return."