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U.S. Plans Assessment of Mideast Peace Moves
[Reuters/Yahoo] Adam Entous - The U.S. will conduct confidential assessments of whether Israel and the Palestinians are meeting their peacemaking commitments and share the results privately with the parties, U.S. and Western officials said. Though the Bush administration has decided to keep the assessment process confidential, it reserves the right to go public with its views if necessary, the officials said. Israel has said it will not implement any peace deal until the Palestinians meet their commitments to combat militants in both the West Bank and Gaza, where militants continue to fire cross-border rockets. Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and Mahmoud Abbas agreed at Annapolis last month that Washington - rather than the broader Quartet of Middle East mediators - would "monitor and judge" Israeli and Palestinian compliance with the 2003 Roadmap. A senior U.S. official said of the judging program, "our purpose will be to encourage progress, not to chastise" the parties. Officials said the newly appointed U.S. envoy for Middle East security, James Jones, will not serve as the direct "judge" of whether the parties are complying with their commitments.