SAINT LOUIS, April 16: President George W. Bush on Wednesday signed a six-month waiver that keeps the Palestine Liberation Organization’s US offices open and gives the body access to its US funds.

“The waiver will permit the United States to avoid damaging our current diplomatic efforts on the Israeli-Palestinian front and in the Middle East region more broadly,” said White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan.

Had Bush not signed the six-month waiver, the PLO’s offices in the United States would have been barred from operating and US banks would have been required to deny the organization access to its funds on deposit, she said.

The White House announced the move by releasing a memorandum from Bush to US Secretary of State Colin Powell.—AFP