Although the US media is reluctant to report this
(and thus does not)Sharon has no use for Condaleeza Rice. During her visit yesterday, he took a little trip to the settlement of Ariel:
"I came here today to see how the city can be expanded and the bloc strengthened, as I do and shall do in the other blocs. This bloc will forever be an inseparable part of the State of Israel, territorially contiguous with the State of Israel like the other blocs," he said.
And just to be totally clear on his intentions:
""There is a Knesset member in our party who constantly, in a hysterical and shrieking tone of voice, announces the next stage of the disengagement, even though he knows it's a lie. I cannot issue denials all day long. I hear MKs saying that I'm going to divide Jerusalem, but I don't intend even to discuss Jerusalem. The incitement keeps recurring, and even those who incite know it's a lie and that there won't be a second or additional disengagement, and that Jerusalem will not be divided.",
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/603287.html
While he was making his speeches, Rice had to make do with visiting Jerusalem with the Foreign Minister. Ariel Sharon knows who is in charge, it is not Condi.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spent Thursday in Jerusalem, where she met with Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom.
Condi had breakfast with Sharon at his rach this morning. He has continually said that he will not meet with Abbas before the disengagement. She wants him to coordinate the disengagment with Abbas, HaAretz says. Perhaps he will pretend to. Last time Condi was in Israel he announced that he would not have a press conference with her, but apparently decided later that he must (for the sake of HER image). Perhaps he'll play the same game now.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/603554.html
The headline reads:
Rice: Israel must coordinate disengagement with PA
In other news, Al Jazeera is reporting that
Israel raids Jenin amid Rice visit. No other reports of that, which is not unusual. The media only reports Israeli invasions when it absolutely has no other choice.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/67E9EE3A-9FC0-4F91-9631-AC8610C5B25F.htm