The Bush administration is doing its best to portray Colin Powell's 10-day mission to the Middle East as a success, but no amount of spin can hide the fact that American influence in the region has reached new lows. Powell failed to secure his two main objectives: a cease-fire from Yasser Arafat and an Israeli withdrawal from recently occupied territory in the West Bank. The prospects for peace dimmed even more after Powell got home. With Arab and European opinion already inflamed by reports of Israeli aggression, Bush added to the outrage by hailing Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as a...
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