Free Republic

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House insisted on Wednesday that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is committed to the U.S.-backed road map Middle East peace plan, despite his comments in a newspaper interview that suggested otherwise. White House spokesman Scott McClellan said he did not think that accounts of Sharon's comments to the daily Yedioth Ahronoth accurately reflected the prime minister's views. "Prime Minister Sharon has reaffirmed his commitment to moving forward on his bold proposal to move out of the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank," McClellan said. "That is a proposal that can help get us...

WASHINGTON, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Key Bush administration officials are expected to visit Israel this month to discuss Israeli Prime Minister's plan to "disengage" from the Palestinians, The Washington Post reported on Saturday. The trip would lay the groundwork for a trip to Washington by Sharon either later in February or in March, the newspaper said. The American delegation may include deputy National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley and the National Security Council's senior director Elliott Abrams as well as Assistant Secretary of State William Burns, the newspaper said, quoting U.S. and Israeli officials. Administration officials were not immediately available to...