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Hosni Mubarak sought assurance U.S. peace push is firm.
On StarNet: Read related articles and watch multimedia presentations at azstarnet.com/mideast

World

Bush backs Saudis over Dems' oil 'screaming'

The Associated Press
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 05.18.2008
SHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt — President Bush said Saudi Arabia's small increase in oil production will not solve soaring U.S. fuel prices, but he defended the wealthy kingdom Saturday against American lawmakers "screaming the loudest" for Riyadh to open its spigots.
Bush also encountered bitter Arab criticism that he favors Israel too heavily and was bluntly questioned by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak about whether he is serious about peacemaking. Bush said he was "absolutely committed" to reaching an Israeli-Palestinian agreement by the end of his presidency next January. But there was no sign during Bush's five-day Mideast trip that the two sides are moving closer toward an accord.
"It breaks my heart to see the vast potential of the Palestinian people really wasted," Bush said. Pledging the creation of an independent homeland, Bush said, "It'll be an opportunity to end the suffering that takes place in the Palestinian territories."
On the last stop of his travels, Bush held a rapid-fire series of diplomatic meetings at this posh Red Sea resorts. After talks with Mubarak, Bush saw Afghan President Hamid Karzai and had dinner with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Today he will confer with the leaders of Pakistan, Jordan, Iraq. He said every meeting advances prospects for peace.
As oil prices hit another record Friday, Saudi King Abdullah rebuffed Bush's request for higher oil production to take the pressure off prices.Saudi officials said the kingdom was pumping all the oil that its customers want and that production was increased 300,000 barrels a day earlier this month.
"It's something, but it doesn't solve our problem," Bush said. "Our problem in America gets solved when we aggressively go for domestic exploration. Our problem gets solved if we expand our refining capacity, promote nuclear energy, and continue our strategy for the advancement of alternative energies, as well as conservation."
Rather than criticize the Saudis, Bush turned his fire on Democrats back home who are threatening to kill a $1.4 billion arms sale to Riyadh unless it pumps at least 1 million additional barrels a day.
"One of the interesting things about American politics these days is those who are screaming the loudest for increased production from Saudi Arabia are the very same people who are fighting the fiercest against domestic exploration, against the development of nuclear power, and against expanding refining capacity," Bush said.
The president's first appointment was with 80-year-old Mubarak, who has led an authoritarian government in Egypt since 1981. In unusually blunt criticism, Egypt's state-owned press attacked Bush for his speech before the Israeli Knesset. The media accused Bush of being overly supportive of the Israelis and not mentioning the Palestinians' plight.
Bush, in his address Thursday, showered Israel with praise, strongly reiterated its right to defend itself and only gently urged leaders to "make the hard choices necessary," without mention of concrete steps. He did not visit the Palestinian territories.
Bush said Mubarak "wanted to make sure that my approach toward the Middle Eastern peace is firm, and that we work hard to get the Palestinian state defined." Bush said that "I believe we can get a state defined by the end of my presidency, and we'll work hard to achieve that objective." He repeated those assurances later to Abbas. The Palestinian leader said that "we are working very seriously and very aggressively with the hope that we will be able to achieve this objective before the end of the year."
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