Undercutting A Peace Mission

By Massimo Calabresi

Colin Powell's new Middle East envoy, retired Marine General Anthony Zinni, has a gigantic task--and some folks back home aren't making it any easier. On his first trip to the region last week, he was hit with tough talk from Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and a series of bombings on Thursday and Saturday that saw nearly 200 casualties. But at least the Israelis and Palestinians say they wish Zinni well. Not so some Bush Administration hard-liners, who tell TIME they are worried Zinni will pressure Israel to make concessions to P.L.O. leader Yasser Arafat. "I don't like the whole idea of what he's doing out there," says a senior Administration official. The carping could undermine Zinni's mission even before it gets under way; wise to the Bush Administration's continuing reticence to engage in the Middle East, some parties in the region wonder if Zinni has the full support of the White House. "[The State Department] is there to placate the Arabs," says a senior Arab official. "The real action is at the White House." So all eyes will be on President Bush's scheduled meeting with Sharon this week in Washington. If Bush makes no nod toward the Palestinians, he will be seen as unwilling to pressure the Israelis. And that will mean bad news for Zinni's prospects.

--By Massimo Calabresi