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Mideast Peace Talks Were Not in Vain, Kerry Says
(Washington Post) Anne Gearan - Speaking about the collapse of U.S.-brokered peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday, "We believe the best thing to do right now is pause, take a hard look at these things, and find out what is possible and what is not possible in the days ahead." Kerry acknowledged that nine months of face-to-face talks had failed to produce the outline deal he had sought, or any visible progress. The effort he began last summer marked the most intensive U.S. involvement in peacemaking in many years. Kerry said a surprise Palestinian announcement that the militant Hamas would join a unity government with Fatah was the last straw. He insisted that the talks produced tangible progress, which he said he would detail "at some appropriate moment."