US rejects Palestinian bid to seek UN approval for state

          The US on Tuesday rejected Palestinian plans to pursue efforts to ask the UN Security Council to recognize a Palestinian state in September. "We don't believe it's a good idea, we don't believe it's helpful," US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement. "We continue to press both sides to begin talking again in direct negotiations," Toner said. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, however, signalled that he was determined to pursue efforts to ask the UN to recognize a Palestinian. During a visit to Tunisia, Abbas said: "We are counting on the words of US President Barack Obama who said his vision is to see a Palestinian state this coming September according to a deadline set by the Quartet." "More than 130 countries have already recognized a Palestinian state on 1967 borders" the Palestinian Authority president said. "This number has the potential to reach 140 or 150" he continued. Abbas said that Western European countries, such as Britain and France, were also likely to accept the establishment of a Palestinian state. Abbas is scheduled to visit France on Wednesday for talks with President Nicolas Sarkozy on the Palestinian state issue. Abbas is hoping to convince Sarkozy to support the PA’s intention to ask the United Nations Security Council in September to recognize a Palestinian state on the 1967 lines, with east Jerusalem as its capital. Abbas is expected to meet next month with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to try to convince her too to recognize the Palestinian state. (06,00)