Kerry on third day of Mideast shuttle

[Jefferson23]

JERUSALEM (AFP) -- US Secretary of State John Kerry was on Saturday seeking to brush aside bitter recriminations and push forward the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks on a third day of shuttle diplomacy.

After five months of mostly sticking to a deal not to air their grievances in public, the mutual distrust between the sides has burst into the open with the top US diplomat's 10th trip back to Israel.

And US officials acknowledged that agreement on a framework to guide the negotiations forward would not be reached on this trip, but would need more time.

Palestinians protested against Kerry as he met Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank for six hours late on Friday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=662461

[oberliner]

1. Looks like I was right

Wish I hadn't been, but there is really no way to be realistically optimistic.

Here's hoping for a breakthrough though.

[Jefferson23]

2. I am glad you were, or at least seem to be..there wasn't anything in the works so far that

I'm aware of that would have ensured a viable state for the Palestinians.

[Scootaloo]

3. At this point a head of cabbage could predict this stuff

There will never be a "breakthrough" with the US as the broker. Never. Unless perhaps our position shifts radically, but hey, you know US foreign policy and its violent allergy to changing.

[azurnoir]

4. and while Kerry was there-Israel, US carry out joint missile test during Kerry visit

Israel and the United States carried out a joint missile test Friday, the defense ministry said, as US Secretary of State John Kerry pushed for a Middle East peace deal.

The Israel Missile Defense Organization and US Missile Defense Agency completed a "successful" launch of the Arrow-3 anti-ballistic missile system over the Mediterranean, an Israeli defense ministry statement said.

The Arrow, designed to counter long-range missiles, has successfully intercepted missiles similar to Iran's Shihab-3 in a variety of test conditions.

................................................

Friday's test came as Kerry met Israeli and Palestinian officials, in his latest push for an elusive Middle East peace deal.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=662423

sends a message doesn't it

[Jefferson23]

5. It does, and the message is clear, isn't it. n/t