Of the 4 members of the so-called Mideast Quartet group, only the United States findes itself at odds with the other three, Russia, the EU and the UN, on the issue of declaring details of the so-called 'Roadmap' Mideast plan. The issue came in the open when the United States on Wednesday proposed putting off the plan until after Israelis vote in January, while the European Union said Israelis should see the plan before they cast their ballots. The disagreement came to the surface after talks in Washington between Secretary of State Colin Powell and European Union leaders visiting Washington for semiannual consultations on the state of the world.

The U.S. proposal meets an Israel request that Washington go slow on the peace plan, known as the "road map," while the Europeans and Arab governments have urged the United States to push the plan through regardless of the Israeli elections, which are scheduled for Jan. 28.

The dispute augured ill for a meeting in Washington on Friday of the Quartet -- an informal group of Middle East mediators dominated by the United States and the European Union. Russia and the United Nations also attend.

The mediators will add some touches to the plan, which calls for a Palestinian state alongside Israel, but diplomats had already given up hope that they would release a text.

Powell told a news conference that the meeting on Friday would "come as close as we can to agreement on the road map."
"Because of the Israeli elections, to be frank, and because of the number of issues that are before the Israeli public right now, we think it would be wiser in this instance for us to continue work on the road map and wait until after the Israeli election is over," he added.

"It's just a matter of weeks until that is resolved and then we will engage with all the parties," he said.

EU WANTS ISRAELI ELECTORATE INFORMED BEFORE GOING TO THE BALLOT BOX JAN 28, 2002

But Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller said: "It is very important, in the European Union's opinion, that the voters of Israel know what the world thinks about the situation. Being an enlightened voter means that you also have the information on which you build your vote."

Moeller, whose country holds the EU presidency, led the EU delegation, alongside foreign policy chief Javier Solana and External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten.

The Danish minister said the Israelis and Palestinians had to restore some mutual trust -- the Palestinians by ending attacks on Israelis and the Israelis by stopping to build or expand settlements in Palestinian territory.

"The way the settlements are now growing means you will end up with a Palestinian state looking like a Swiss cheese, a lot of holes, so if you are going to have this vision with two viable states, then you also have to make the Palestinian state viable at the end of the day," he added.

EREQAT DUBS WASHINGTON 'ODD MAN OUT' ON DECLARING 'ROAD MAP' PLAN BEFORE ISRAELI VOTE

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, reacting to Powell, said he favored giving Israeli voters a clear choice.

"Declaring the road map before the Israeli elections would have meant that the Israeli people would have to make the choice between peace based on a two-state solution and non-peace based on the continuation of occupation," he said.

"The U.S. decision not to declare the road map, contrary to the wishes of the Europeans, Russia and the United Nations, will lead to a political vacuum and more of the policy of inaction," Erekat told Reuters.

Solana, speaking on Washington on Tuesday evening, showed signs of European frustration at the stalemate over the "road map," which has been in the works for many months, and said he longed for a U.S. partner in Middle East mediation.

"The road map is very clear but we have not been able to move the train out of the station a single inch. It's in the station and we have not been able to get it moving and that's what we have to do," Solana said.

"I would very very much like to have somebody with me, working together (from the United States)," he added.

PHOTO CAPTION

Secretary of State Colin Powell (R) answers a question along side Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moller during a press conference at the State Department in Washington, December 18, 2002. The press conference brought to light differences between the U.S. and the European Union on a time table for a Mideast peace plan. (William Philpott/Reuters)