MIDDLE EAST: Israel freed 500 Palestinian prisoners in the largest mass release for nearly a decade as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas faced a political crisis over shaping a new reform-minded cabinet.
President Bush, in a speech in Brussels, urged Mr Abbas to "put forward a strategy of reform" when a London conference convenes next month on financial support for the Palestinian Authority following Yasser Arafat's death.
But even as the hand of Mr Abbas was strengthened by jubilant scenes of homecoming for former detainees, Palestinian lawmakers opposed to the makeup of his new cabinet forced a delay of at least a day in a vote to ratify his government.
He and Prime Minister Mr Ahmed Qurie held talks with lawmakers from their dominant Fatah faction after complaints that the proposed cabinet contained few new faces and retained ministers seen as part of a corrupt old guard under Mr Arafat.
"Reform is part of Abbas's programme and we are committed to this policy," Nabil Abu Rdainah, a Palestinian Authority spokesman, said referring to Mr Bush's remarks.
But, Abu Rdainah said, the most important thing was to revive a US-backed "road map", which charts mutual steps towards creation of a Palestinian state beside a secure Israel.
Prospects for peacemaking have brightened since Mr Abbas succeeded Mr Arafat on a platform of non-violence and persuaded militants to abide by a de facto truce.
Israel's prisoner release, its biggest since freeing 800 in 1996, was part of a package of confidence-building measures Mr Abbas agreed with Prime Minister Mr Ariel Sharon at a February 8th summit in Egypt.
But the mood of celebration was tempered by Palestinian demands for even larger prisoner releases to help Mr Abbas get armed groups to formalise the ceasefire he reached with Mr Sharon. Israel still holds about 8,000 prisoners and says it will free 400 after a joint committee with the Palestinians finalises a roster.
Mr Abbas vowed to make winning freedom for all jailed Palestinians the "top of our priorities", but Israel has refused to release prisoners "with blood on their hands".
"We feel pain because we left our brothers . . . in jail," said Islamic Jihad member Hassan Abu Armana, who served two years in Israeli prisons.
"There will be no peace, no security, no stability without the release of all prisoners."
The detainees were freed a day after Mr Sharon's cabinet approved a pullout from the Gaza Strip, the first time Israel has decided to dismantle settlements on land Palestinians want for a state.
Palestinians welcomed the Gaza withdrawal expected to begin on July 20th.