To the Point

Can Palestinians' New Prime Minister Bring Peace?

Yasser Arafat has named his close ally Ahmad Qurei to be the new Palestinian Prime Minister. The US and Israel won-t deal with Arafat himself, but Qurei says he won-t take the new job if his boss is isolated, and he wants indications of support from the US and the European Union. Meantime, the violence continues with a deadly bombing today near Tel Aviv, on the heels of Israeli efforts to kill the leaders of militant groups. Is Arafat calling the shots once again? Will Israel relax its hard line? Does President Bush-s -road map- have a chance of stopping the violence? We examine the prospects for any meaningful steps toward peace in the Middle East with American, Israeli and Palestinian journalists. Making News: Schwarzenegger Tracks Bustamante on Recall Election With Republican Peter Ueberroth dropping out, there is one less major candidate running to replace California Governor Gray Davis in case he-s recalled in October-s recall election. Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Weintraub has details on the results of latest Field poll, and considers the impact of Ueberroth's departure on the front-runners and Governor Davis. Reporter's Notebook: Will Lifting UN Sanctions Lift Cloud over Libya's Qaddafi? Moammar Qaddafi-s Libya has admitted to the terrorist bombings of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland and a French airliner over Africa. Qaddafi is negotiating to pay the survivors of victims and for the removal of sanctions by both the United Nations and the US. Can a brutal dictator change his spots? We hear from two scholars who have written on contemporary Middle East politics.