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Quartet Ponders Role as Mideast Peace Hopes Crumble
(Reuters) Sue Pleming - The "Quartet" of world powers trying to mediate between the Palestinians and the Israelis is battling to stay relevant in the face of a Hamas-led government and divisions over how to handle the militant group. Made up of the U.S., Russia, the EU, and the UN, the group is set to look anew at their tactics at a meeting next week in New York. Some political analysts question its usefulness at all now that the peace process is stagnant after the election victory of Hamas, a militant group that refuses to recognize Israel and is responsible for dozens of suicide bombings. "The Quartet's role is very unclear now," said Shibley Telhami of the Brookings Institution. Alvaro de Soto, the UN special envoy for the Middle East, has said the road map should be updated to reflect the grimmer situation on the ground. Former Middle East envoy Dennis Ross said the road map was plagued with problems from the outset, with neither side understanding their obligations in the same way.