Report: Israel, U.S. reach agreement on Gaza pullout plan

Israel and the United States have reached agreement in principle on Israel's unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip, Israel Radio reported Tuesday night, citing "sources in Washington close to the talks between the two countries."

According to the report, U.S. President George W. Bush will support the disengagement plan as an "intermediate step" until realization of the internationally-brokered road map to Middle East peace, which plans for the eventual establishment of a Palestinian state.

The disengagement understandings were reached in talks last week in Jerusalem between U.S. officials and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, and issues still on the table will be settled before Sharon meets Bush on April 14 in the United States.
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Since when did Israel need permission to not be in Gaza?
Did they ask before going in there?

No permission is needed for anything. Israel and Sharon can act unilaterally and the rest of the world should shut-up.

:eyes:

and that George will really give it? I think it is
pure political theater with no content whatever. Sharon
gets support for his Gaza initiative, and Bush gets to
say he is still sticking by his road map, and they both
get nice photo-ops.

Contacts between Sharon and Bush have already worked out the details of the "agreement". Sharon doesn't get the free hand that he wanted, with US approval, but Bush can amend his plans to include the Gaza initiative. I think there will be progress with this move.

Sharon's visit to the White House includes the theatrical, but is the expected theater of the political day.

Mubarak favors the initiative also. Can't just sit around waiting for the PA to clean up it's act. It just ain't goin'a happen that way.