Blair pursues Mid-East mission

[JI7]

<UK Prime Minister Tony Blair's talks with Israelis and Palestinians in Jerusalem and Ramallah this week are likely to lead to a limited form of conference designed to shore up a new post-Arafat Palestinian leadership.

Such a conference - probably to be held in London in February following Palestinian elections on 9 January - would not herald the resumption of peace talks but would perhaps be a building block towards that end.

The idea is that the new Palestinian leader would be encouraged to initiative reforms, to take control of security and to formulate a negotiating position for talks with Israel.

He would be rewarded with international political support and economic and practical help.

The Israeli withdrawal from Gaza is seen to offer the hope of establishing moderate Palestinian rule - but also the threat that the extremists in Hamas might take over. >

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4108859.stm

[AlamoDemoc]

1. Ah, yet an other useless conference

[sweetheart]

2. Credit to blair

Go for it dude. Its cynical to accept the current west bank
occupation as the status quo, and you are right to pursue this in
this time of great solistice power.

If Rt.Hon.Blair can sort this out, he'll recover dignity in his
legacy lost in the civlian blood staining the iraqi deserts.