(Washington Post) William Booth and Anne Gearan - A full and final peace agreement is still possible within the nine-month calendar set for U.S.-brokered talks, Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday following two days of meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. He rejected persistent speculation that the U.S. would settle for a partial or interim agreement and a continuation of talks. He said the core framework under discussion centers on the critical issues: "borders, security, refugees, Jerusalem, mutual recognition and an end to conflict and to all claims." Yet there are no tangible signs of progress as talks reach the halfway mark. Kerry's visit was complicated by a rare blizzard across the Middle East that dumped almost two feet of snow on Jerusalem and Ramallah.
2013-12-16 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive