20 March 2004	Saturday	28 Muharram 1425

AL QUDS, March 19: Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon held an unannounced meeting with the Jordanian king amid his efforts to promote a plan for a withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, where tensions were still running high on Friday.

King Abdullah II visited Sharon's ranch in the southern Negev desert on Thursday after arriving by helicopter and discussed the Israeli premier's "disengagement plan", public radio reported.

Neither leader issued a statement following the impromptu summit and Sharon's office also remained mum on the talks, which came amid intensified efforts by Sharon to promote his plan at home and abroad.

However, a source from the king's office said Abdullah, accompanied by his intelligence chief, General Saad Khair, met Sharon in line with contacts aimed at "stopping Israel from taking unilateral measures that affect the rights of the Palestinian people."

Sharon has laid out a package of unilateral measures to extract Israel from the Palestinian question if there is no progress on the US-backed "roadmap" peace plan.

They include an evacuation of most of the Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip, as well as the ongoing construction of a separation barrier with the West Bank, where some settlements could also be abandoned.

The Palestinians have said they are not against Israel withdrawing from the occupied territories, but deplore that Sharon is taking unilateral steps and fear they could affect future negotiations for a final status agreement.

Sharon's top aide Dov Weisglass was due to fly to Washington on Sunday to present the plan to the US administration, while its opponents in the Israeli cabinet, including right-wingers, were also lobbying US officials. Israeli military officials reportedly suggested that a Gaza withdrawal would not be completed before September 2005. -AFP