Gaza, as it stands

An interesting Steve Weisman in the NYT – Hoping to Buttress Sharon, U.S. Urges Allies’ Restraint – details US policy in this post-Gaza pullout moment. Weisman concludes:

American officials said Israel must keep at least some sort of momentum going on issues with the Palestinians, in part to bolster Mr. Abbas. But as a practical matter, they said, there may not be dramatic movements for some time on issues where the Palestinians want to see progress. “We want to see progress in carrying through the agreements to improve the quality of life in the West Bank,” said the first senior administration official. “But realistically, what happens now in Gaza is very important. We have to see whether a stop can be put on terrorism in Gaza.”