The pretence of peacemaking

Colin Powell was at pains to place a positive spin on his Middle East mission at a final press conference in Jerusalem. But there was no disguising the fact that his high-profile foray on to the frontlines of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict had achieved little or nothing - and no hiding his relief to be heading home.
Nobody should take comfort from this verdict. For the two principal parties, for the Arab world, and for others such as the EU, Russia, the UN secretary-general, and George Bush's White House, Mr Powell's failure spells big trouble down the road. For ordinary Jews and Palestinians, it means more daily fear, misery and pain.

All involved had been depending, to varying degrees, on the American somehow pulling a rabbit out of a hat - even as many, by their words and actions, were daily making it harder and harder for him to succeed. But the hoped-for conjuring trick failed to materialise. The US secretary of state and career soldier turned out to be no magician - not even a particularly imaginative diplomat.