U.N. Chief Turns to Shuttle Diplomacy in Mideast Crisis U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, at a joint press briefing with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, says he is optimistic about the prospects for ending the violence in the Middle East. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan stepped into the diplomatic breach today, trying to broker a way out of the nearly two weeks of violence in the Middle East that has claimed more than 90 lives.
Violent clashes continue to engulf the Middle East.
It Takes Two to Tango' After meeting with Barak in Jerusalem today, Annan said neither Israelis nor Palestinians could claim either full blame for the violence or full credit for their efforts to control it. Neither side can claim to have all the right on their side or all the wrong on their side. Barak, on the other hand, has berated Arafat for not putting a stop to the clashes. Annan, who arrived in Israel on Monday has already met with Arafat, expressed optimism today about prospects of ending the violence. He is concerned about the level of Palestinian casualties.