NY Times: U.S. Warns Israel Against Steps That Harm Peace Plan

[La_Serpiente]

U.S. Warns Israel Against Steps That Harm Peace Plan

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 — The Bush administration, responding coolly to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's announcement of a possible "disengagement plan" in the West Bank, warned Israel on Thursday against taking unilateral steps that effectively abandoned the American-sponsored peace plan, called the road map, which would establish a Palestinian state.

"We would oppose any unilateral steps that block the road toward negotiations under the road map that lead to the two-state vision," said Scott McClellan, the White House spokesman.

A senior administration official involved in Middle East policy tried on Thursday night to emphasize that parts of Mr. Sharon's speech were positive, especially his call for immediate steps to ease conditions of Palestinians living in the West Bank and for the dismantling of "unauthorized" settlement outposts built in the last few years.

The official said that based on a reading of Mr. Sharon's text and also on briefings given to American officials before the speech, it was clear that such actions by Israel were offered "unconditionally" — that is, not dependent on the Palestinians acting first to crack down on Palestinian militant groups.

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U.S. Warns Israel Against Steps That Harm Peace Plan

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[loudnclear]

1. NYT not the only voice of warning.

http://www.tikkun.org/

Read about Sharon's unilateral strategy at this site...many Jews are against it.

[La_Serpiente]

2. thanks for the website

very informative

[tinnypriv]

3. Senior admin official

Is probably Abrams.

[bemildred]

4. I read an Atlantic piece that says he's

been a "surprise" about this issue. I think
it's the Bush-I vs Bush-II-Neocon split. Junior
is doing too much damage. I'm almost ready to bet
money Junior will be removed or made impotent to
interfere before the election, they don't really
have that long to start damage control.