The United States on Monday welcomed the release of 540 Palestinian prisoners announced by Israel on the eve of a summit meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and US President George W. Bush.

"We welcome steps like this, that improve the relationship between the Israelis and the Palestinians, ... and help facilitate progress toward peace," White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters while traveling with Bush to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

McClellan reiterated the position taken by President Bush in a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas last week that the issue of prisoners should be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to prevent the release of potential terrorists.

"The president made clear his views the other day in the news conference with Prime Minister Abbas, that these are issues that need to be addressed on a case-by-case basis, and that no one would want anyone released that had blood on their hands," the spokesman said.

Welcoming the Israeli step in a briefing in Washington, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher also praised Israel for taking down several security checkpoints in a gesture to relax restrictions on the movement of Palestinians.

"We would note that Israel has dismantled three checkpoints in the West Bank and the Israeli cabinet has announced approval of a list of criteria for prisoner releases," Boucher said.

During a two-day visit to Washington last week, Palestinian Prime Minister Abbas pressed hard for the release of Palestinian prisoners and the dismantlement of checkpoints and a so-called security separation wall being built by Israelis in West Bank.

Israel announced the above steps Sunday while Prime Minister Sharon was on his way for a three-day visit to the United States.

Sharon, who arrived in Washington late Sunday, is expected to meet President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Colin Powell on Tuesday.

(China Daily  July 29, 2003)