MIDDLE EAST: On the Verge of Stalemate

Another Vance mission, but the peace process is near breakdown

Cyrus Vance flew off to the Middle East again last week. This time, the ever cautious Secretary of State conceded that his chances of achieving anything substantial were almost nil. Reason: the peace process, so carefully nurtured by the U.S., is one step short of total breakdown. Last week Egyptian President Anwar Sadat informed State Department Troubleshooter Alfred Atherton Jr. that Egypt would not participate in any new talks until Israel agreed to return the occupied territories. Meeting Vance at the Tel Aviv...

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