Sharon under fire for separation plan

ISRAELI Prime Minister Ariel Sharon drew fire from many sides yesterday but the United States backtracked on his threat to unilaterally separate Israelis from Palestinians if peace talks fail.

US President George Bush’s spokesman performed a U-turn yesterday, reacting warmly to much of Sharon’s latest prescription for dealing with the Palestinians.

“We were very pleased with the overall speech,” said Scott McClellan in an apparent effort to offset published accounts that focused on his admonition on Thursday night that Sharon should not try to impose a settlement without negotiations.