MIDEAST: The US Administration yesterday reflected growing impatience with the Israelis' refusal to withdraw from occupied Palestinian cities with President Bush angrily reiterating his demand.
"I meant what I said to the Prime Minister of Israel. I expect there to be withdrawal without delay," Mr Bush told reporters in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The US Secretary of State, Mr Colin Powell, after meeting Morocco's King Mohammed VI in Rabat, demanded "a clear statement from Israel that they are beginning to withdraw" from Palestinian territories and "to do it now".
"The strategic problems created by this operation are significant and severe," Mr Powell warned. That message was reinforced by Gen Anthony Zinni, the US special envoy, when he met the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Ariel Sharon, last night.
There are concerns in Washington that considerable political capital being invested in the trip is being wasted and that, worse still, the US is being exposed as impotent in its dealings with Israel. That reality was emphasised by the tone of Mr Bush's comments - more an order than a suggestion, and yet, ignored.
Mr Bush also reflected the other strand to Mr Powell's mission in insisting: "I mean what I say when I call upon the Arab world to strongly condemn and act against terrorist activity."
Speculation that the US wishes to see the Palestinian leader, Mr Yasser Arafat, replaced by a more amenable interlocutor have been dismissed by Arab commentators and the architect of the current peace proposal, former Senator George Mitchell, as unrealistic. The message to Mr Powell from the Arab world is that he must speak to Mr Arafat.
Mr Powell said he had asked the king to counsel Mr Arafat to halt violence against Israelis and that he hopes to see him later in the week.
King Mohammed, the first leader to meet Mr Powell on his tour, assured him that Morocco will be ready to act on a land-for-peace proposal "without any prior conditions" as soon as Israeli troops withdraw from the West Bank. And he asked Mr Powell publicly: "Don't you think it was more important to go to Jerusalem first?"
Mr Powell told him "we considered all options" but he wanted to go to Spain tomorrow to meet European ministers before going to Jerusalem to hold talks with both Israelis and Palestinians.
Speaking stiffly in English during a photo session, King Mohammed told Mr Powell: "I wish you luck, because it is going to be difficult."
Mr Powell nodded his head slightly and acknowledged: "It is going to be difficult." A palace statement said King Mohammed reiterated Morocco's "total condemnation of the deliberate Israeli military invasion" of Palestinian territories and "adamantly denounced the siege imposed on President Arafat and his collaborators." Mr Powell last night continued his visit to Morocco with a meeting with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah, who maintains one of his many palaces in the southern coastal city of Agadir and whose role is seen as particularly important in the wake of Arab League acceptance of his proposals for recognition of Israel in return for the latter's return to 1967 borders.
Mr Powell's trip this week also includes meetings with President Hosni Mubarak in Egypt and King Abdullah II in Jordan.
While in Spain, Mr Powell will meet the UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, the Russian Foreign Minister, Mr Igor Ivanov, and European leaders.