Amman, Shawwal 20, 1432, Sep 18, 2011, SPA -- Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas left Amman today heading for New York where he will submit to the Security Council the Palestinian request to accept Palestine as an independent member of the United Nations. Abbas will deliver a speech before the General Assembly of the United Nations on the situation in the Palestinian territories and the suffering of its people by the Israeli occupation. On the sidelines of the meetings of the General Assembly of the United Nations, Abbas is scheduled to meet with Secretary-General of the UN Ban Ki-moon as well as a number of Heads of State and participating delegations and senior political figures to discuss bilateral ties and the latest developments at Arab and International arenas. --SPA 10:44 LOCAL TIME 07:44 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/925787