Jordan king puts off Bush, Powell talks

The move, announced by US and Jordanian officials, comes less than one week after Bush outraged Palestinians by saying Israel could keep some of the Arab land it captured in the 1967 Middle East war.

Abdullah's meeting with Bush has tentatively been rescheduled for the first week of May, US and Jordanian officials said.

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The Jordanian embassy said in a statement that the delay would allow "Jordanian officials to continue the ongoing talks with US administration officials to clarify the US position regarding final status issues, especially in light of recent statements by US officials."

The embassy said Jordan's Foreign Minister, Marwan al-Muasher, was in Washington to "resume talks with administration officials and to prepare for (Abdullah's) visit in May."

Last week Jordan criticised Washington for backing Israeli plans to keep parts of the occupied West Bank before a final Arab-Israeli peace accord was reached by the parties to the conflict.

Bush, with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon at his side, also dismissed the right of Palestinian refugees to return to what is now Israel.

"We understand that, because of developments in the region, the King has decided he would remain in Jordan this week," said Sean McCormack, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council.

Separately, the State Department said Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath postponed plans to meet Secretary of State Colin Powell this week. One US official said this also appeared to be because of displeasure at last week's events.