ABBAS AND SHARON MEET

Sharon-Abbas meet in Jerusalem
Leaders discuss terror escalation, coordination ahead of Gaza disengagement
By Diana Bahur-Nir and Reuters

JERUSALEM - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas met at Sharon’s official Jerusalem residence Tuesday amid harsh Israeli complaints regarding the PA’s inability to deal with the escalation in Palestinian terror.

In a gesture to Abbas, Sharon offered to pull back Israeli forces from West Bank towns Bethlehem and Qalqilya within two weeks, but conditioned the move on a credible Palestinian plan to rein in terrorists there, Sharon’s spokesman said. Prior to the meeting government officials said the recent attacks and attempted suicide bombing prove Abbas is not doing enough to stop terror. The summit marked the first time the two leaders have met since the Sharm el-Sheikh summit last February.