Senator Mitchell (AP)
"[W]hile these peace negotiations, these efforts to end conflicts, necessarily focus on political and security measures, they can’t succeed in any sustainable way unless a very high priority is also given to economic issues, to the daily lives of the people involved."The relevance [of Annapolis] is that it’s tangible evidence that after nearly seven years of neglect, the Bush Administration has focused on what is the central issue in the Middle East.
I commend the effort. Only time will tell whether it’s too little too late. But, I hope very much that something positive comes out of it – it’s badly needed and long overdue. There are of course, many reasons to be doubtful, even skeptical, but I think the goal, the objective is so important that, everyone ought to do everything possible to move toward it. …
There has to be a complete change in the mindset of the administration in how it approaches the issue. Until now, administration efforts have been periodic, inconsistent, and anything but persevering. If there is to be success, that has to change. There has to be a strong and clear determination, a perseverance; not in one day and out the next, not one person one day another person next week, not one proposal now and another proposal next year. [It] has to be communicated to the parties in the region, an absolute determination to stay fully engaged until success is achieved. That has not been present so far. Access the full interview>>