(Reuters) The Bush administration is reaching out to European allies for a possible new push for peace in the Middle East if Arafat is replaced by more moderate leaders, U.S. and diplomatic sources said Monday. A senior administration official said U.S., French, German, British, and other EU officials met on Friday at the White House to discuss efforts to revive the "road map" peace plan and how the death of Arafat would change "the realities in the region." Diplomatic sources said the meeting was a sign of growing trans-Atlantic coordination, which has been marred in the past by differences over whether to negotiate with Arafat. "If Arafat dies, there will be new realities in the Middle East and it is incumbent on the U.S. to recognize and be prepared to respond to those new realities," a senior administration official said.
2004-11-09 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive