DATE=04/09/02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE= POWELL/EGYPT (S-ONLY)

NUMBER=2-288491

BYLINE=DAVID GOLLUST

DATELINE=CAIRO

INTERNET=YES

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Secretary of State Colin Powell met Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo Tuesday, as he continued a Middle East mission aimed at defusing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Mr. Powell, who has moved up his arrival in Jerusalem to Thursday, is being pressed by Egypt and other moderate Arab states to expedite an Israeli pullback from the West Bank. V-O-A's David Gollust reports from Cairo.

TEXT: Mr. Powell has faced Arab criticism at each stop thus far for making Jerusalem the final destination of his mission.

In advance of his stop in Cairo, Powell aides said the secretary was moving up his arrival there by one day to Thursday, to facilitate more talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

Meeting reporters after his session with President Mubarak, Mr. Powell said flatly for the first time that he intends to meet with besieged Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

He also said he had spoken by telephone with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, and expressed hope he follows through with his stated intention to withdraw forces from Palestinian areas of the West Bank.

/// POWELL ACT ///

The president hopes that Prime Minister Sharon will end this operation quickly, and start to remove the forces now. And we hope that yesterday's beginning steps were the beginning of the end.

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Mr. Powell said the United States is committed to political talks on a settlement in the region in tandem with cease-fire discussions, and he reiterated the administration's willingness to provide monitors for a truce arrangement. (Signed)

NEB/DAG/JH-T/TW