US envoy Dennis Ross came up empty in his Middle East diplomatic excursion. In Washington, there was no hiding the disappointment and sense of hopelessness; a State Department spokesman said the peace process was in "dire straits." Ross had hoped to convince Israel's Netanyahu to carry out his pledge to make three troop pullbacks by this summer, but Netanyahu stood by his revised position of one pullout, followed by talks - all of which the Palestinians found unacceptable.
Mideast: Bleak
US envoy Dennis Ross came up empty in his Middle East diplomatic excursion. In Washington, there was no hiding the disappointment and sense of hopelessness; a State Department spokesman said the peace process was in "dire straits." Ross had hoped to convince Israel's Netanyahu to carry out his pledge to make three troop pullbacks by this summer, but Netanyahu stood by his revised position of one pullout, followed by talks - all of which the Palestinians found unacceptable.
