Bush intends to pullout US troops from Sinai, a new ME peace delegate

News reports talked about the intention of the US President George Bush to withdraw its military units working within the peace keeping forces in Sinai. Meantime, Israeli political sources said that US President George Bush had started his consultations to appoint a new delegate for the peace process after this post was abrogated after it used to be occupied for several years by former US ME peace coordinator Dennis Ross.

The Orient radio said quoting Israeli sources as saying that the step of the US president to appoint a new delegate came after the telephone call he made with the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon on Wednesday.

The sources noted that most expectedly this post will be acquired by US ambassador to both Syria and Israel Edward Djerjian. The Israeli sources said that the Israelis do not prefer Djerjian who is well-known and has wide knowledge about the Middle East and his full command on the Arabic language and that the Israelis want to alienate him from the file of the region in contrary to what they had done with Ross and Martin Indyk with whom they showed great cooperation, while the Palestinians find in appointing Djerjian as a positive step from the side of Washington and as a positive sign on its interest in the file of peace in the region.

Earlier the "New York Times" reported that the US defense secretary Donald Damesfield told Sharon last month that the US administration wants to withdraw the US keeping forces in the Sinai as part of the step it intends through to reduce the obligations of the American forces abroad.

The paper quoted Israeli diplomats that Sharon was surprised by that and argued against it but he said he will agree on that in case a symbolic American presence will be there.