Bush Endorses as 'Historic' Sharon's Gaza Pullout Plan
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: April 14, 2004
WASHINGTON -- President Bush on Wednesday endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to pull out of Gaza and parts of the West Bank as "historic and courageous actions." An elated Sharon said his plan would create "a new and better reality for the state of Israel."
In what appeared to be a major shift in U.S. policy, Bush said it is now "unrealistic" to expect that Israel, in any final peace deal with the Palestinians, would make "a full and complete return to the armistice lines of 1949." That is significant because Israel seized the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem in the 1967 war.
And, in a concession sought by Sharon, Bush also said a final peace deal should call for Palestinian refugees to be settled in a Palestinian state, not in Israel. ...
<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/14/international/middleeast/14CND-DIPL.html>
Carl
_________________________________________________________________ Check out MSN PC Safety & Security to help ensure your PC is protected and safe. http://specials.msn.com/msn/security.asp