Sharon brushes off Bush warning on settlements

ISRAELI Prime Minister Ariel Sharon yesterday brushed off a warning from US President George W Bush not to allow further West Bank settlement growth, indicating Israel would continue to solidify its hold on areas it considers of strategic importance.

In a meeting with American newspaper editors in Washington, Mr Sharon also reiterated his call for Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to take stronger steps to curb Palestinian militants.

“I have known him for many years. There is no doubt he represents a departure from Yasser Arafat’s strategy of terror,” sMr Sharon said. “But he must take additional steps to disarm terror organisations, stop incitement, or we can’t move forward from the pre-road map stage.”