Olmert throws Bush under the settlement expansion bus

Ehud Olmert makes public a claim that President Bush personally delivered a letter that "gave the Jewish state permission to expand the West Bank settlements that it hopes to retain in a final peace deal, even though Bush's peace plan officially calls for a freeze of Israeli settlements across Palestinian territories on the West Bank."

The US denies this is in the intent of the letter, but, to me, it's far more interesting that Olmert chose to deliver this so publicly and intentionally.

Olmert is choosing to undermine US credibility right before Bush meets with Palestinian half-PM Abbas.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas wants the Bush administration to press Israel to stop expanding Jewish settlements in the West Bank — a step he says is needed to make progress in Mideast peace talks.....

Halting Israeli expansion in the West Bank is a major component of the so-called roadmap blueprint for peace.

"I am telling you frankly that the most important obstacle to the peace process and the negotiations is the continuation of the settlement activities," Abbas said in his speech. "Therefore, I am calling on the Israeli government to stop all settlement activities so we can hold proper meetings to reach a solution on the core issues."

And Olmert says, so publicly, we're just doing what the US wants.