Sharon makes prisoner release gesture to Palestinians

WASHINGTON - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says he intends to free 400 more Palestinian prisoners in a gesture to Mahmoud Abbas.

In a speech to the most powerful US pro-Israel group, the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee, Sharon also proposed coordinating with the Palestinian Authority Israel's planned mid-August pullout from the Gaza Strip.

Abbas, the Palestinian president, meets US President George Bush on Thursday.

Sharon said such cooperation would enable Israel and the Palestinians "to embark on a new era of trust and build our relations with the Palestinian Authority".

He said he would seek the approval of his cabinet for the release of 400 Palestinian prisoners after he returns home later this week.

Israel freed 500 prisoners in February as part of understandings reached with Abbas at a February 8 summit when the two sides declared a ceasefire.

But it froze the release of 400 more prisoners, citing Palestinian inaction in disarming militants.

The prisoner releases were intended to boost Abbas among the Palestinian public, who see the prisoners as fighters for freedom from Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza.

But Sharon hammered home his bedrock position that there could be no progress on the US-backed peace road map until Abbas disarmed and dismantled Palestinian militant groups.

"Until now the terrorist activities have not ceased ... and there is no real prevention of terrorist actions," Sharon told a cheering crowd at the annual AIPAC convention, capping a three-day visit with US Jewish leaders.

His address was interrupted briefly by a heckler opposed to the withdrawal. She shouted "I live in Gush Katif", a reference to the main settlement bloc in Gaza, and "it's an expulsion, an expulsion", before being hustled out by security.

"We will do our utmost to cooperate with the new Palestinian leadership and will take the needed measures to help Chairman Abbas," Sharon said, adding the proviso "as long as we do not risk our security -- that is the red line".

Abbas headed to Washington on Tuesday with the hope of pressing Bush to "stick seriously" to the road map and avoid promises to Israel about the outcome.

His trip to the White House has symbolic significance as it will be the first since 2000, when earlier peace talks aimed at Palestinian statehood collapsed into bloodshed for which Washington often blamed his predecessor, Yasser Arafat.

- REUTERS