(Washington Post)The White House, seeking to take advantage of the diplomatic opening created by Arafat's death, is prepared to consider a British proposal that President Bush appoint a special Middle East envoy to shepherd the peace process, administration officials said Thursday. A White House official said the president and visiting British Prime Minister Blair will discuss ways "we can accelerate the process and take advantage of the opportunity of Arafat's passing." But the official cautioned that the administration "will also be patient," watching the Palestinians over the next few weeks to avoid "acting too assertively or too precipitously." Privately, administration officials made it clear that Bush will keep the onus on the Palestinians, saying that the U.S. cannot impose a desire for peace on them if they do not want it themselves.
2004-11-12 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive