Indian officials say two suspected militants stormed a police base in Doda district, about 180 kilometers north of Kashmir's winter capital, Jammu. They remained holed up in the complex for nearly 15 hours, before security forces destroyed the building, killing the two attackers.

 Police say shooting from militants hiding in a nearby forest hampered efforts to end the siege. The mountainous Doda district is a stronghold of Islamic rebels. 

The incident was the most serious since militants attacked an army base in Kashmir earlier this month, killing more than 30 people, mostly dependents of Indian soldiers.

 Since then, Indian authorities have threatened military action against Pakistan, unless Islamabad stops militants from crossing into Indian Kashmir. Pakistan denies it is aiding the militants.

 The latest attack took place as Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said Islamabad is considering redeploying troops from the Afghan frontier to the eastern border with India. Responding to the report, an Indian defense ministry spokesman said "India is prepared for any eventuality." 

Responding to reports that Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has pledged to prevent infiltration across the Kashmir "line of control," Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nirupama Rao said New Delhi will wait to verify such pledges. 

"Fact is, whatever assurances the Pakistani leadership may make, we will wait to see whether it is translated into action on the ground, whether there is positive change, on the ground in terms of infiltration, in terms of ingress of terrorist groups, and we will form our assessment at that stage," she said.

 Officials say the intensity of cross-border firing in Kashmir has not abated, and heavy artillery shelling continues at many points along the line of control that divides the troubled region between the two countries. Defense officials say the overnight firing killed several people - soldiers and civilians. 

Analysts have warned that a major militant attack, and the continuing cross-border firing could lead to an unintended escalation of hostilities between India and Pakistan. Both countries have mobilized a million troops along their borders. 

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The international community helped East Timor win independence in part because of the alleged human rights abuses inflicted on its people during Indonesia's 24-year occupation of the country. Despite investigations into abuses surrounding East Timor's independence vote, the question remains whether justice will ever be fully served. 

Groups of young East Timorese men take to the streets to defend their homes in September 1999. They are independence supporters and this street battle came a few days after East Timor voted overwhelmingly, in a United Nations-supervised ballot, to break free from Indonesia. 

Within a few days, most of the men had fled to the mountains to escape pro-Indonesia militias. Others were not as lucky, and were among the hundreds of people the militias killed in a two-week rampage. 

Almost three years later, the East Timorese are struggling to come to terms with abuses they say they suffered at the hands of the Indonesian military. Both East Timor and Indonesia are investigating the violence and allegations that elements of the Indonesian Armed Forces helped plan the militia rampage. 

Prosecutors from the United Nations Serious Crimes unit, which oversees the East Timor human rights investigation, have issued 35 indictments. They won the first case of crimes against humanity, convicting 10 men on charges that included the massacre of a group of clergy. 

That victory comes after much criticism of the unit. Human rights groups said it lacked the support to carry out investigations by UNTAET, the U.N. peacekeeping mission in East Timor. U.N. Prosecutor Stuart Alford says that situation has changed. "There was a distance between UNTAET and [the] Serious Crimes unit before, which led to a lack of U.N. resources being put to it, physical resources in some cases, in terms of vehicles, of well-qualified staff, and also assistance diplomatically and politically trying to get the job done within East Timor…. So I think that was a major improvement to see Serious Crimes rise up the political agenda for UNTAET," he says 

After much delay, Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri earlier this year pushed through the formation of a special ad-hoc human rights court to hear East Timor cases. 

But Indonesia's human rights court also has come under fire. Human rights groups say Jakarta has only indicted low-ranking officials and none of the military top brass. They also say the court's mandate does not cover all of the violence. 

A think tank, the International Crisis Group, or ICG, says the indictments against the Indonesian suspects are "sloppy" and the court trivializes the issue of crimes against humanity. 

Sidney Jones is with the ICG in Jakarta. "I think there are a lot of signs that these trials are designed to obscure rather than reveal the truth. … I think there probably will be some people convicted," she says. "But the mandate of the court is so limited and the indictments are so appallingly weak that there's no way the full role of the Indonesian government is going to be revealed." 

East Timor's President Xanana Gusmao says eradicating poverty is more important to him than the demand for justice. 

Not all East Timorese agree with him. Yayasan Hak is East Timor's largest human rights group. Its leaders want an international rights tribunal to be formed, because they think both the Indonesian and East Timorese investigations are inadequate. 

Joaquim Fonseca is with Yayasan Hak. "There is no culture in Indonesia to hold the top leaders accountable," he says. "So the ad hoc tribunal won't do that. And the Serious Crimes unit here, even if it can be made effective, it would not have the jurisdiction over the most responsible ones, who are in Indonesia." 

Yayasan Hak is also backing the Reception, Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a group formed to help East Timor communities deal with residents who committed minor abuses such as looting and the destruction of property. The goal is to let ordinary people decide on punishment for offenders, so that they eventually can be welcomed back into the community. 

Mr. Fonseca says there are signs such an approach can help, as some former militia men have come back to face their neighbors. "They have committed wrongdoings, but they came back to their community, and said, "Let's talk." We acknowledge that we have done this, this, this and this and we are ready to go to answer in the court. But we are still part of the same community. That is the best example ever," he says. 

So far, no dates have been set for the first hearings of the Truth Commission. But perhaps it will give the East Timorese the closure they need, if the legal process fail them. 

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China says it faces grave environmental problems, despite government efforts to reduce pollution. The country is battling rapid land degradation, air and water contamination, and a new threat posed by the dumping of high-tech waste. 

A report released Friday on the state of China's environment in 2001 says the government will invest around $85 billion in a clean-up campaign over the next 10 years. 

Zhu Guangyao, vice-minister of China's environmental protection agency, says "water pollution is one of the most serious problems." Mr. Zhu says "all seven of the country's extensive river systems and several major lakes are contaminated with sewage and toxic chemicals. Rivers near cities are the most severely damaged." 

Mr. Zhu says "acid rain containing toxic sulfur dioxide falls over 90 percent of cities in southern and eastern China. Acid rain affects one third of the country. Two thirds of Chinese cities have unacceptable levels of air pollution caused by soot, suspended particulates and chemicals." 

Mr. Zhu points out that some cities, such as Beijing, are noticeably improving their air quality. He credits this improvement, in part, to a move away from coal as the primary energy source, toward alternative resources such as natural gas and hydropower. 

Mr. Zhu adds that "China is fighting rapid land degradation, which is stripping two million hectares of grassland a year." He says "135-million hectares of land have eroded to desert, and 90 percent of China's natural grasslands have been damaged." 

Mr. Zhu says this desertification initially is caused by drought and heavy winds. But he says human activities make the problem much worse, through over-logging, over-grazing and wasting water. 

The country also faces a new environmental threat from illegal imports of discarded computers and other high-tech waste. 

Wang Jirong, another environmental official who spoke to reporters Friday, said "China will crack down on these illegal imports, which she says come primarily from the United States." 

Ms. Wang says such high-tech waste releases poisonous chemicals into the air and water. She called on the United States to hold its manufacturers responsible for their toxic trash. 

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Space Shuttle Endeavour on launch pad  (NASA photo)

The threat of more thunderstorms ruled out Friday's scheduled launch of Endeavour, already postponed once. Liftoff could now come as early as Saturday provided the forecast improves. 

This delay means at least two more days in orbit for American astronauts Daniel Bursch and Carl Walz who, along with their Russian commander, have been living aboard the international space station since December. By the time they return to Earth, they will have broken the U.S. space endurance record of 188 days, set by Shannon Lucid aboard Russia's Mir space station in 1996. 

In addition to transferring a new crew to the space station, Endeavour commander Ken Cockrell says astronauts will have a heavy workload. "We've got one of those missions that has almost too much in it to get done, " he said.

 Including transferring tons of cargo, conducting three space walks and repairing a faulty joint on the station's robot arm. 

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Senegal's Moussa Ndiaye, right, and France's Bixente Lizarazu go for the ball during match

Senegal, ranked 42nd in the world and making its World Cup debut, upset defending champion and number-one France here, 1-0.

 While the French dominated possession of the ball throughout the match, Senegal created some good opportunities of its own, and never seemed to have any fear of a team that was heavily favored. The lone goal of the game came in the 30th minute. 2001 African player of the year, El Hadji Diouf, set up the play with a quick run down the left side past defender Frank Lebeouf. His crossing pass went into the goal area where French midfielder Emmanuel Petit tried to clear it over the end line. But goalie Fabien Bartez stuck his leg out and the ball glanced off his foot, right to Senegal's Papa Bouba Diop, who easily booted it into the goal.
 
 

AP
Coach Bruno Metsu, left, and Senagal's star striker El Hadji Diouf

 "For us, it's the biggest moment for our team and for this World Cup," he said.

 Metsu is a Frenchman who has coached various professional clubs in France and took over as coach of Senegal less than one year ago.

 " Maybe I'm not the best coach after this result. But this result is big, big encouragement for all coaches who have had difficulties and who have seen a lot of difficulties in their career," he said. "Personally I'm very happy, very happy after the result."

 France, of course, can not be pleased with how it started defense of its title. Even without injured playmaker Zinedine Zidane, the French outshot Senegal, 15-6. They came close to scoring a number of times, with their best chances coming with a shot off the right post in the first half and a shot off the crossbar in the second half.

 But French coach Roger Lemerre, through an interpreter, said his opponents deserve a lot of credit.

 " It was a big performance for the Senegalese team. Before this game, I had a big conviction that my friend, coach Bruno Metsu, would have good tactics. And I know that on the pitch, the French side had some domination against this Senegalese team," he said. "But it's a big, big performance from the Senegalese team with their tactics, and they played well."

 So Senegal, whose entire starting line-up plays professional football in France, knocks off defending champion France here in the World Cup opener, 1-0. 

The other two teams in Group-A, Uruguay and Denmark, play one another Saturday in Ulsan, in southeastern South Korea. Next Thursday, Senegal faces Denmark and France takes on Uruguay. 

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AP
Pervez Musharraf

Thousands of Pakistani troops are stationed on the country's western border in order to stop al-Qaida terrorists and Taleban militants from fleeing Afghanistan.

 But President Musharraf says if the threat of war with India persists, he may re-deploy Pakistan forces to the Indian border. He was addressing a news conference after signing an energy pipeline agreement with Afghan interim-leader Hamid Karzai and Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyzov.

 "For Pakistan the first priority is its on security, and nobody should grudge that. If we are subjected to aggression, then certainly all our resources will confront the area or the points where this security is being threatened," he noted. "And that is where shifting of the forces from the west to the east comes in. But the movement has not yet started. We are seriously contemplating on moving some elements out of these on to the east if at all the tensions remain as high as they are now."

 Tensions between India and Pakistan have rapidly increased in recent days, raising fears of another conflict between the South Asian nations. India accuses Pakistan of supporting terrorist attacks in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Pakistan denies the allegations.

 President Musharraf has again said his country condemns terrorism. He says Pakistan wants to live in peace and does not want war with India.

 "I think all that I can do is to give my assurance that we will try to avoid conflict. It will be my utmost endeavor to avoid conflict,'" president Musharraf said. "And I have been saying that all along, that conflict will only take place here [only] if it is initiated by India. We will not be the initiators. This is my guarantee."

 Interim Afghan leader Hamid Karzai also made an appeal to both India and Pakistan to ease border tensions and settle difference through talks.

 "I would like to tell both India and Pakistan, to come and see the destruction in Kabul and then decide. They must see what has happened in Afghanistan," he said. "They must see the suffering of the people there and then choose the path that they want to take. And I am sure they would take the path of peace and co-operation and economic well being for all the people."

 The United States has warned that "irresponsible elements" could spark a conflict if tensions between India and Pakistan escalate. 

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AP
Richard Armitage

Secretary of State Colin Powell was in daily telephone contact with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw during his shuttle diplomacy in the region this week. And the peace making effort will be continued next week by Mr. Armitage, a blunt-speaking former top Pentagon official with close ties to military leaders on both sides. 

At a briefing here, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher used his most explicit language to date in discussing the danger of war between the two nuclear-armed South Asian powers. 

"Tensions are very high," he said. "It's vital for everyone involved to do their utmost to reduce violence, lower the rhetoric, exercise restraint. The climate is very charged and a serious conflagration could ensue if events spiral out of control. So with that as a background, we're looking for Indian and Pakistani officials who are responsible for the safety and welfare of their people to take steps in that direction."

 Mr. Boucher said that, amid escalating tensions, there is a danger that "irresponsible elements" could set off a war an apparent reference to extremist attacks like the one by Islamic militants that killed more than 30 Indian army dependents in Indian Kashmir earlier this month. 

He repeated his call on Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to take concrete steps to back up his stated pledge to end infiltration across the Kashmir "line of control." 

The spokesman also confirmed that veteran diplomat Nancy Powell, currently the U.S. ambassador to Ghana, is being sent to Islamabad to replace departing ambassador to Pakistan Wendy Chamberlin.

 Ms. Chamberlin asked to leave the Islamabad post after her two teenaged daughters had to be sent home earlier this year under a security-related evacuation of U.S. diplomatic dependents from Pakistan.

 Ms. Powell, who is no relation to the secretary of state, will serve as U.S. charge d'affaires in Pakistan until President Bush nominates new ambassador. 

President Bush says India and Pakistan must step back and stop their growing conflict from spiraling out of control.

 "We are making it very clear to both Pakistan and India that war will not serve their interests," the president announced. "We are part of an international coalition applying pressure to both parties, particularly to President Musharraf. He must stop the incursions across the line of control. He must do so. He said he would do so. We and others are making it clear to him that he must live up to his word."

 U.S. intelligence officials are concerned that al-Qaida terrorists may take advantage of increasing tension between India and Pakistan, especially as President Musharraf says he is considering moving troops from the Afghan border to the Indian border. President Bush says coalition forces are continuing to patrol the Pakistani-Afghan border to prevent al-Qaida fighters from returning to Afghanistan where they may try to disrupt plans for a new transitional government.

 "We are doing everything we can to continue to shore-up our efforts on the Pakistani-Afghan border. And they shouldn't think they are going to gain any advantage as a result of any conflict that might be, or talk of conflict between India and Pakistan, because we are still going to hunt them down," Mr. Bush warned.

 Gunmen attacked an Indian army camp in Kashmir earlier this month, killing more than 30 people most of them family members of Indian soldiers.

 Since then, India has threatened military action against Pakistan unless President Musharraf stops Islamic militants from crossing into Indian Kashmir.

 President Musharraf says his government is not helping the militants and will prevent them from crossing the border.

 President Bush says Secretary of State Colin Powell and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld are studying ways to protect Americans in India and Pakistan in case the countries do go to war. 

Donald Rumsfeld

Speaking to reporters just a short time after his trip was announced by President Bush, Mr. Rumsfeld was reluctant to discuss the message he intends to deliver to Indian and Pakistani leaders. 

But the defense secretary made clear the United States is deeply concerned about rising tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

 "There is no question that I would not be going on this visit were we not concerned about the situation between the two countries," he said.

 Mr. Rumsfeld described the disagreements between India and Pakistan as substantial. But he refused to accept suggestions that war is inevitable.

 As for the thousands of American citizens in both countries, Mr. Rumsfeld acknowledged there are contingency plans for their evacuation. But he said no decisions have been made to actually carry out any evacuations, including the removal of U.S. troops currently in Pakistan in connection with ongoing anti-terrorist operations in Afghanistan.

 In recent days, Pentagon officials have voiced concern those operations could be affected if Pakistan moves troops now deployed along the Afghan border. Mr. Rumsfeld said Thursday there has been no change in Pakistani border deployments so far, and he remains hopeful there will be none.

 In Afghanistan itself, defense officials have disclosed that most of the more than 50 people detained in a recent raid near Kandahar were neither Taleban nor al-Qaida fighters. But they say five men are still being held, at least one of whom has been identified as a Taleban official. 

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Several western nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia are advising non-essential personnel and dependents at their diplomatic missions in India to leave the country because of the danger of war between India and Pakistan. The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi has stepped up its travel warning for Americans in the country - urging all private U.S. citizens to leave India as soon as possible. 

Embassies of several western nations are urging their citizens to register at their missions, or consulates in the country, and leave India. Gordon Duguid, press attache at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi says all non-essential personnel at U.S. diplomatic missions in the country are being sent home. He also urges private U.S. citizens in India to leave as well. 

"This is an authorized departure - which is voluntary," he said. "Individual officers and their family members will make the decision on whether or not they should leave. I must stress however the Department of State urges Americans to leave and Americans in the embassy who are not in emergency positions are also being urged to leave." 

Mr. Duguid says the latest travel warning goes beyond the one issued on May 24 that urged private American citizens to consider leaving India. He says the latest warning urges them to leave. 

Mr. Duguid says extra consular personnel will be on duty to assist with information requests but that for the time being, all departures both for mission staff and for private citizens will be on commercial flights. There are an estimated 60,000 U.S. citizens living in India. 

The Indian government has yet to comment on the latest travel warnings from western embassies in New Delhi. 

The travel warnings came on a day when senior Indian officials sought to downplay the tensions between India and Pakistan that have raised fears of a military conflict between the two countries. Speaking in Singapore, where he is attending a regional conference on terrorism and security, Defense Minister George Fernandes called the situation in South Asia stable. 

"Troops have been on both sides in a kind of eyeball-to-eyeball situation for the past six months, so I do not think one needs to worry just now as what is likely to happen," he said. 

In a briefing for reporters in New Delhi a senior Indian military official who asked not to be identified said that Indias tactical scenario for fighting a war with Pakistan did not include the use of nuclear weapons, saying India is totally committed to a policy of no-first use of nuclear weapons. 

India is demanding that Pakistan stop what it calls the cross-border infiltration of militants into Indian Kashmir. Islamabad says it does not support the militants but will work to stop them from crossing into Indian territory. India controls two-thirds of Kashmir. Pakistan controls one-third. Two of the three wars the two countries have fought since independence in 1947 have been over the disputed territory. 

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Israeli troops are staging brief raids into Palestinian-ruled areas of the West Bank. At least 10 Palestinians were arrested in the latest sweeps.

 Under cover of darkness, dozens of Israeli armored vehicles rolled into Palestinian areas in the West Bank city of Hebron.

 The Israeli army says four Palestinians were arrested before the military withdrew from Hebron. A military spokesman says six Palestinians were detained for interrogation during a raid in a village near the West Bank town of Tulkarm.
 
 

AP

 The Palestinian leadership issued a statement denouncing the Israeli raids, charging the army with "firing on residential areas and making random arrests."

 Meanwhile, there is an upsurge in diplomatic efforts to end the crisis.

 German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, who is in the Middle East holding talks with top Israeli and Palestinian officials, endorsed the idea of a regional conference to discuss ways to end the Arab-Israeli conflict. "We think that we should move now forward the proposal of a meeting or a conference during the next months," he said. "I think it is an excellent idea and it should be carefully worked out. We should bring this idea forward. The economic recovery is also crucial and security."

 Assistant Secretary of State William Burns is also in the Middle East on a regional tour. He is meeting with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and will hold talks with Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, on Friday. 

Mr. Burns says he is in the region to renew a serious political process and support Palestinian efforts to build strong institutions "in preparation for statehood."

 Central Intelligence Agency Director George Tenet is due to travel to the region Friday. He is expected to focus on helping the Palestinian Authority reform its security services.

Israeli troops have pulled out of Bethlehem after occupying the West Bank town since Monday - but they continue to raid other Palestinian areas. During their stay, the soldiers kept Bethlehem residents under curfew most of the time while conducting searches and making arrests of suspected militants. 

Elsewhere in the West Bank, Israeli soldiers today arrested more than 10 Palestinian suspects during raids into Jenin, Hebron and a village near Tulkarm. 

Israeli forces have been making frequent incursions into Palestinian towns, villages and refugee camps in a hunt for militants linked to a recent surge of attacks against Israelis. 

Thursday's actions came as U.S. Assistant Secretary of State William Burns and European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana were on Middle East missions aimed at relaunching a political process toward peace. 

Both men met in Cairo with Egyptian leaders. Mr. Burns had talks later with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in the West Bank city of Ramallah. 

While in Cairo, the U.S. envoy said there has been too much death and too much suffering for both Israelis and Palestinians. He said the daily humiliations that ordinary Palestinians suffer under occupation are getting worse every day. Mr. Burns said it is time for everyone to try hard to restore a sense of hope in a political resolution. 

CIA Director George Tenet travels to the region Friday for consultations on security issues. Egypt's President Mubarak will meet with President Bush at Camp David next week. 

Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.

The Israeli military has withdrawn from the West Bank town of Bethlehem, after searching for militants allegedly responsible for carrying out suicide bombings and shooting attacks against Israelis. 

Israeli tanks, armored personnel carriers, and troops pulled out of Bethlehem and other forces withdrew from the adjacent Dheisheh refugee camp.

 Israeli soldiers raided the town and surrounding villages earlier this week, imposing a curfew that confined tens of thousands of Palestinians to their homes.
 
 

AP

 During the raid Israeli soldiers blocked access to the Church of the Nativity, built over the site where tradition says Jesus was born, to prevent another standoff at the shrine with Palestinian gunmen.

 Last month some militants took refuge inside the basilica during a previous Israeli incursion, and remained there for more than five weeks until a deal was reached to send them into exile in Europe or the Gaza Strip.

 Earlier, Israeli forces arrested at least ten Palestinians during brief raids into Hebron, Jenin and a village near Tulkarm in the West Bank.

 Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Arye Mekel says the incursions will continue until Palestinian attacks are stopped. "While attempts are being made to resume the peace process we also have, of course, to continue and fight terror," he emphasized. "There can be no immunity for terrorists. They can not expect to come and kill Israelis and then go and hide anywhere within the territory of the Palestinian Authority."

 U.S. Assistant Secretary of State William Burns is in the Middle East as part of a fresh diplomatic effort to end 20 months of Israeli-Palestinian violence.

 Mr. Burns met with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in the West Bank city of Ramallah and is scheduled to hold talks on Friday with top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

 Mr. Burns says he is in the region to renew a serious political process and support Palestinian efforts to build strong institutions in preparation for statehood.

 The U.S. diplomat says "there has been too much suffering and too much death for both Palestinians and Israelis." Mr. Burns stressed, "It is time to restore a sense of hope."

 The director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, George Tenet, is due to travel to the Middle East on Friday and is expected to focus on helping the Palestinian Authority reform its security services. 

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Israeli tanks on Nablus street

Backed by combat helicopters, Israeli tanks, armored personnel carriers and infantry thrust into Nablus and the nearby Balata refugee camp.
 
 

Palestinian home damaged during Israeli incursion in Nablus

 The Balata camp is known as a stronghold of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a militant group linked to Fatah. The group has claimed responsibility for recent suicide bombings and shootings of Israelis.

 This week the Al-Aqsa group says its members carried out a number of attacks, including an infiltration of a Jewish settlement that left three Israeli teenagers dead and a suicide bombing near Tel Aviv that killed an Israeli woman and her granddaughter.
 
 

 Near Nablus a Palestinian gunman was shot and killed after infiltrating the Jewish settlement of Shavei Shomron. The army says the gunman entered the settlement armed with an automatic weapon and hand grenades.

 The continuing violence comes amid intense diplomatic efforts by the international community to revive the Middle East peace process.

 U.S. Assistant Secretary of State William Burns is continuing his mission to the region, holding meetings with top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres.

 Mr. Burns says he is in the region to renew a serious political process and support Palestinian efforts to build strong institutions in preparation for statehood.

 Following a meeting with Mr. Arafat the U.S. diplomat said "it is time to restore hope" after more than 20-months of conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

 The director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, George Tenet, is scheduled to meet with both sides in the coming days and is expected to focus on helping the Palestinian Authority reform its security services. 

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Javier Solana

 The top foreign policy official in the European Union, Javier Solana, says peace in the Middle East will depend on developments on three fronts. 

William Burns

Envoy William Burns says the months of fighting have had a devastating effect on Palestinians. "The humanitarian problems, the daily humiliations that ordinary Palestinians suffer under occupation, are getting worse every day," he said. "It is time for all of us to try very hard to restore a sense of hope in a political resolution and a sense of hope for both Israelis and Palestinians that they can gain the security and the hope for the future that they deserve."

 Mr. Burns says he is attempting to coordinate efforts to promote simultaneous political negotiations throughout the region in anticipation of a possible peace conference sometime this summer.
 
 

Ahmed Maher

 But Mr. Maher says he believes all issues in the peace process can successfully be negotiated