U.S. Believes Arab States Won't Scuttle Mideast Talks.

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration believes it has persuaded Arab states not to scuttle the fledgling Middle East peace negotiations, officials said Thursday, despite the Israeli government's refusal to freeze Jewish settlements and a vow by the Palestinians to walk away if Israel did not. With the Arab League's meeting on Friday expected to deliver a pivotal decision on the future of the talks, the United States has appealed to Jordan and other Arab nations to stop short of pushing the Palestinians to break off the negotiations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]