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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: tejek who wrote (198137)	8/23/2004 9:14:47 PM
From: steve harris	Respond to of 1577829

In reviewing kerry's 20 year voting record in the senate, you should be thanking Bush is president and will be again!

To: tejek who wrote (198137)	8/23/2004 9:15:55 PM
From: tejek	Respond to of 1577829

Israel invites bids for construction of 1,000 more homes in West Bank Peter Enav Canadian Press August 17, 2004 1 \| 2 \| NEXT >> A Palestinian boy searches in the rubble of a destroyed house in the Rafah refugee camp, southern Gaza Strip. The houses were destroyed in an Israeli army operation early Tuesday, Palestinian witnesses said. (AP /Khalil Hamra) ADVERTISEMENT JERUSALEM (AP) - The Israeli government on Tuesday issued bids for 1,000 new homes in Jewish West Bank settlements, in a violation of an internationally backed peace plan, but insisted the construction has the tacit approval of one of the backers, the U.S. government. U.S. officials said Tuesday they expect Israel to abide by the "road map" peace plan, which calls for a construction freeze in Jewish settlements. There has been growing tension between Israel and the United States in recent weeks over the West Bank settlements, both over the ongoing construction in the veteran communities and Israel's failure to dismantle settlement outposts. However, public U.S. criticism of Israel has been relatively muted. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's decision to issue the tenders comes as he is facing a growing rebellion in his Likud Party. Party hardliners oppose his plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip by 2005, and to bring the moderate Labour Party into his fragile coalition. The party's Central Committee is to vote Wednesday on a possible alliance with Labour, and Sharon could easily lose the vote. Housing Ministry spokesman Kobi Bleich said the new homes are to be built in four West Bank settlements -Karnei Shomron, Ariel, Maaleh Adumim and Beitar Illit. Sharon has said he wants to annex large West Bank settlement blocs to Israel as part of a future peace deal. Bleich denied that Kiryat Arba and Geva Binyamin were on the list. Housing Ministry spokesman Kobi Bleich said that the six settlements earmarked for expansion are within "the Israeli consensus," meaning they are among those Israel plans to keep in any scenario. In April, U.S. President George W. Bush said it was "unrealistic" to expect Israel to withdraw from all the West Bank and dismantle large population centres in a peace agreement with the Palestinians. This was seen by Israel as a green light to continue expanding large settlement blocs. Tzipi Livni, the acting housing minister, said she believes the construction approved Tuesday "absolutely fits in with the American declarations." However, U.S. Embassy spokesman Paul Patin reiterated that Israel must honour its commitments under the road map. "Israel has accepted the road map and all its stipulations and we expect it to abide by them," Patin said. The Israeli government adopted the road map in May 2003, but it never got off the ground, as both Israel and the Palestinians failed to fulfil their obligations. Earlier this month, Sharon temporarily suspended the bids, asking that the construction plans be checked. At the time, Sharon's decision was seen, in part, as an attempt to defuse growing tensions with the United States over settlements. Palestinian cabinet minister Saeb Erekat urged Bush to intervene on the settlement construction, and pressure Israel to live up to its obligations. "I think this (the construction) is destroying the road map," Erekat said. More... canada.com