U.S. DENIES SHARON CLAIM RE KEEPING WEST BANK LAND

U.S. denies Sharon claim of keeping West Bank: Prime minister used supposed Bush promise to justify Gaza withdrawal

JERUSALEM - The U.S. has denied a claim, used by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to justify plans to withdraw Jewish settlements from Gaza this summer, that the Bush administration has reached an agreement with Israel to allow Jewish settlements to remain in the West Bank, WorldNetDaily has learned.

Sharon said Tuesday, in response to a journalist's question, that he agreed to pull soldiers and settlers from Gaza because of assurances from President Bush that large settlements in the West Bank would remain part of the Jewish state.

Sharon, speaking to reporters after giving his annual address to the foreign press corps, said Bush supported the concept of a final peace agreement in which Israel would retain land in the West Bank and not accept Palestinian refugees if the Jewish state carried out the Gaza withdrawal.