Bush OK's direct money transfer to PA

President George W. Bush plans to transfer money directly to the Palestinian Authority, U.S. administration officials said Wednesday as Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas begins three days of meetings in Washington.

Until now, most U.S. aid to the Palestinians has gone to private relief organizations out of concerns regarding corruption under the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

However, Abbas wants aid funneled directly to the PA, as a show of U.S. confidence in his leadership.

While Congress has provided USD 200 million overall for the Palestinians this year, Bush has requested another USD 150 million for the fiscal year beginning October 1.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has already said most of the money would be channeled through the PA for specific projects.

What are they demanding? 

Abbas is scheduled to meet with Rice later on Wednesday and is set to meet with Bush on Thursday.

He plans to ask the U.S. president to push Israel to carry out its obligations as stated in the U.S.-backed roadmap peace plan, including the freezing of all settlement construction, and also request economic support to boost the PA's ailing economy.

“We will continue to demand from the Americans to carry out their duty, which is to stick seriously to the roadmap,” Abbas said. “This means not making promises at the expense of negotiations or a permanent agreement and supporting the PA and the peace process until the end.”

According to Palestinian Foreign Minister Nasser al-Qidwa, who has been accompanying Abbas during his visit to Washington, the Gaza Strip would continue to be an "occupied territory," and the Palestinians would remain confined "within a large prison" as long as Israel control's the air space and access to the sea.

"We are doing our best to prepare for disengagement," he said. "Until now we have not received any information regarding the pullout. We have no information about whether they (Israel) plan to destroy the (settler) homes or transfer them to us."

Al-Qidwa said a secure thoroughfare between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank is needed, as well as a correlation between the pullout and road map plan.

"We will not agree to an approach of 'Gaza now and afterwards we'll see,'" he said. "It needs to be clear that after the successful pullout from Gaza, the next stage of the roadmap plan should be implemented ."

First meeting since 1999

During the Palestinians' meeting with Bush on Thursday, the first since Arafat's in 1999, they intend to discuss their claim that Israel has only upheld partial commitments agreed upon at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit in February.

In addition, the Palestinians are set to call for an end to construction in the Jewish settlements, specifically in the Maale Adumim area, and an end to the building of the security fence.

- Yitzhak Benhorin, Ali Waked and Associated Press contributed to this report