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Old Hand for an Old Mission

[Washington Post] Jackson Diehl - President Obama named former senator George J. Mitchell Thursday as a special envoy to the Middle East. The 75-year-old Arab American's return to duty was a reminder that much of what the new administration is facing in the region isn't new - and neither is the initial strategy Obama has adopted. Mitchell headed a panel that was launched in the last days of the Clinton administration, and in May 2001 delivered recommendations to the Bush administration that called for a cease-fire, followed by a series of confidence-building measures. The problem, of course, is that the Mitchell plan of 2001 was a flop. Formally endorsed by all sides, endlessly discussed for more than a year, it was eventually folded into Bush's "road map" scheme of 2002 - which, in turn, also went nowhere. So why try the Mitchell approach again?
2009-01-23 06:00:00
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