The United States will confer privately with Israel and the Palestinians over meeting their peacemaking commitments.
Reuters reported Sunday that the Bush administration has decided to keep the assessment process of compliance with the “road map” peace plan secret, though it will go public if necessary.
Israel wants to keep the judging process secret, while the Palestinians are in favor of disclosure.
In the first stage Israel is committed to halting building in the settlements and Palestinians have pledged to stop terrorism.
The U.S. special envoy for Middle East security, James Jones, will not be the final judge of the Israeli and Palestinian compliance, Reuters reported. Rather, American diplomats will send their assessments to Washington. The final decision will come from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice or President Bush.
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