Clinton diverts to Egypt for Mideast peace talks

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton made a hastily arranged stop in the Egyptian capital Tuesday to consult with a longtime Arab ally amid indications of a shifting U.S. strategy for getting Israel and the Palestinians back to peace negotiations.

Instead of returning to Washington, as scheduled, after attending an international conference in Marrakech, Morocco, Clinton flew to Cairo and held late-night talks with Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit and Omar Suleiman, the Egyptian intelligence chief. She was due to meet Wednesday with President Hosni Mubarak before returning to Washington to brief President Barack Obama.

Egypt and other Arab nations reacted with strong concern to remarks Clinton made in Jerusalem on Saturday. She caused a stir when she said with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at her side that his government's offer to restrain - but not stop - settlement activity in Palestinian areas was unprecedented.

And in a new twist Tuesday, Clinton made what appeared to be an inadvertent slip of the tongue in a television interview with the al-Jazeera network, referring to the goal of "an Israeli capital in east Jerusalem."

It has not been U.S. policy to favor including east Jerusalem in an Israeli capital; the Palestinians claim it as their capital, and the issue is one of the most important and delicate points that would have to be settled in any final peace deal between the two parties.

Two Clinton aides monitoring the interview alerted her to the mistake and that portion of the interview was retaped so she could correct herself.

Upon arrival in Cairo, Clinton was met at her aircraft by the U.S. envoy for Mideast peace, former Sen. George Mitchell, who briefed Clinton aboard the plane on his meetings in Amman, Jordan, with King Abdullah II and, separately, with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

Arab governments had already reacted with criticism to her comments about settlements last weekend in Jerusalem as a tilting of U.S. policy toward Israel. But on Monday in Marrakech, Clinton issued what she called a clarification, saying her words in Jerusalem were meant as "positive reinforcement" for the Israelis. She added that Israel's effort still fell far short of U.S. expectations, and she added strong praise for the Palestinians.

On Tuesday in Marrakech, however, Clinton seemed to indicate that the U.S. would like the Palestinians to accept something less than a full stop to Israeli settlements, with the stipulation that they may achieve that goal in direct negotiations. Palestinian leaders have said they will not return to peace talks with Israel unless it halts all settlement building on lands they claim for a future state.

In the al-Jazeera interview, Clinton reiterated that Obama has clearly stated his desire for a halt to settlements. But she added that the Israeli offer of "restraint," to include an end to establishment of new settlements and other measures that limit settlement growth, might be close enough to the ultimate U.S. and Palestinian goal to merit embracing in the near future.

"It is not what we want," she said of the "restraint" offer. "It is nowhere near enough, but I think when you keep your eye on what we want to achieve, it is a better place to be than the alternative, which is unrestrained (growth). And therefore, I think we should be trying to keep moving the parties to relaunch negotiations. Just as in the past, settlement activity will be solved when the borders of a new state are determined." She added, "That should be our real objective, and that's what we're working toward."

Before leaving Marrakech, Clinton also held her first meeting with Libya's foreign minister, Musa Kusa. Clinton spokesman P.J. Crowley said the two discussed Sudan and counterterrorism but neither raised the matter of Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, the Libyan who was convicted in connection with the 1988 Lockerbie bombing that killed 270 people - mostly Americans - aboard Pan Am Flight 103. Al-Megrahi was released from a Scottish prison in August on humanitarian grounds, over strong U.S. objections.

In a speech in Marrakech, Clinton urged Arabs and Israelis to set aside their historical differences, avoid inflammatory rhetoric and recommit to attaining a comprehensive peace in the Middle East.

Speaking to senior government officials from the Mideast, North Africa and several major industrialized countries attending an international forum, Clinton struck a serious, cautious tone as she raised the matter of pursuing a comprehensive peace deal.

"I know this is a matter that is of grave and pervasive concern among the countries represented here, but even far beyond this region," she said. "We are committed to a two-state solution."