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Claims: Bush to ‘Abandon’ Sharon Letter

Israeli opponents of Ariel Sharon’s Gaza-withdrawal plan say all the signs are that U.S. President George W. Bush is already undoing the commitments he made to the Israeli prime minister earlier this month.

Top officials in Washington say Bush is preparing a letter that he will present to Jordan’s King ‘Abdallah when the leaders meet next week.

The letter will promise the Arab world that no facts on the ground will be decided, other than in any final-status agreement between the Palestinians and Israel.

The Israeli anti-withdrawal caucus says this proves that a similar letter from Bush to Sharon is largely worthless.

‘Abdallah was originally scheduled to meet Bush last week, but postponed the talks in what appeared to be a diplomatic snub of Bush, following the American president’s meeting with Ariel Sharon.

The Media Line analysts say the newly arranged talks between Bush and ‘Abdallah were only finalized after Bush agreed to write a second letter, which essentially rejects the principles laid out in the original note to Sharon.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has made it clear no issues will be resolved outside of negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

Powell made the comment during a speech at an Israel Independence Day celebration hosted by Jerusalem’s Embassy in Washington.

Powell also praised Ariel Sharon for initiating his Gaza-disengagement proposal.