Clinton: U.S. wants Israel settlement halt 'forever'

A Palestinian worker performs his Muslim afternoon prayers at a construction site for new settler housing on July 14, 2009 in the Israeli settlement of Givat Zeev in the West Bank. U.S. President Barack Obama has demanded Israel to stop settlement construction while Israel has suggested it might temporarily refrain from starting new building projects while continuing existing projects in return for steps toward a regional peace agreement. (David Silverman, Getty Images)

CAIRO (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says Washington does not accept the legitimacy of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and wants to see their construction halted "forever."

Still, Clinton says an Israeli offer to restrain, but not halt, settlement building represents "positive movement forward."

Clinton spoke after talks Wednesday with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak during a hastily arranged stopover in Cairo. She came to soothe Arab concerns that Washington is backing off demands for an Israeli settlement halt, sparked when she praised the Israeli plan in Jerusalem on Saturday.

She has since said Israel's stance does not go far enough, but has hinted the Palestinians should resume negotiations without a full settlement halt.

©2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.