(Reuters/New York Times)U.S. officials hope Arafat's death will offer a new chance for Middle East peace but said it depends on who replaces him, how much power they wield, and whether they have the legitimacy to strike a deal. U.S. officials played down the idea of any quick, dramatic change in their policy with the demise of the Palestinian leader whom the Bush administration viewed as a corrupt, untrustworthy failure and an obstacle to peace. "No matter how creative or how bold you want to be, as long as there continue to be suicide bombers blowing up buses in Israeli cities there's a limit to what can be accomplished,'' said one official.
2004-11-11 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive