Israel to OK illegal settlements; clear 'road map' violation.

Boim: Israel legalizing some unauthorized W. Bank outposts  
 
By Haaretz Service and The Associated Press 
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/365867.html
 
Deputy Defense Minister Ze'ev Boim said Thursday
that the government is close to legalizing some of
the unauthorized West Bank outposts set up in the
past three years. 

Despite previous assurances by the government to the 
United States, Boim told Army Radio that the process 
of authorizing the outposts was almost complete. 

The move would be a clear violation of the U.S.-backed
road map peace plan and Israel's commitments to the 
United States. The road map requires Israel to remove 
dozens of outposts established by settlers since March
2001, and to freeze construction at existing
settlements. 

"Unauthorized outposts were built in the past
three years: this is not a secret," Boim said.
"I am saying that some of them are towns, that
the process of legalizing them is near the end,
and this is the difference." 

A spokesman for Peace Now said that the Boim's
comments prove that the government is
collaborating with the settlers, and has no
intention of removing unauthorized outposts.