Days after Olmert Meets with Bush, Israel Builds in New Area of West Bank

Dear President Bush,

Did Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert run his construction plans by you during your recent visit? Did he point out the new construction in Maskiot in the Jordan Valley? Israel initially plans to build 20 homes for Gaza settlers and refers to the land as a necessary buffer zone. Don’t most buffer zones have fences and empty space? Why would a country locate its citizens in a danger zone?

When asked about Maskiot, Stuart Tuttle, the U.S. Embassy Spokesman in Tel Aviv came out with an incredibly wimpy statement.

"As a general principle, the U.S. government is opposed to settlement expansion," Tuttle said. "Ceasing settlement expansion is one of Israel's commitments under the road map."

And one of America’s general principles is to broker fair peace deals around the world. It appears we are failing on both counts. Be sure to let me know if you and Mr. Olmert talked about Maskiot. Is he sticking to his end of the roadmap or did you cut another behind closed doors deal for which you are renowned.

Isn’t that how the Carlyle Group’s LifeCare Hospitals where 24 patients died post Hurricane Katrina, managed to be left out of your Lessons Learned report? Did you Dad broker that one on behalf of his previous employer? Write me back on both issues, I want to know.