World Watch
EUROPE/MIDEAST</br></br>Mideast Road Map Encounters New Obstacles</br></br>JERUSALEM -- The U.S.-backed "road map" to peace encountered new hurdles as Israel announced plans to expand a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip and negotiators failed to agree on further Israeli pullouts from the West Bank.</br></br>The announcement on Gaza came two days after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon defied pressure from President Bush to stop construction of a controversial security fence separating Israel from the West Bank, which the Palestinians say is grabbing land from their future state.</br></br>The setbacks reinforced a growing sense of gloom about prospects for the internationally brokered plan, just days after visits by the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers to Washington and a claim by President Bush that the two sides were making "pretty good progress" toward peace.