To the Point

Interpreting Bush's Middle East Policy

Reactions to President Bush's proposal for bringing peace to the Middle East are divided and somewhat confused. Clear enough are his goals and his call for Palestinian democracy as a means of earning an independent state. Yet in a speech that stopped far short of offering a timeline for establishing such a state or any mechanism for its implementation, Bush appears to have raised more questions than answers. We look at what the US can do to get the ball rolling and the consequences if Palestinians don't go along with journalists in Washington, Europe, the Arab World and the Middle East itself. Newsmaker: On the Ground in the Mid-East after Bush's Speech Last week's suicide bombings and Israel's reaction delayed President Bush's speech on the Middle East until yesterday. Claire Marshall, the BBC's Jerusalem correspondent, updates the situation in the West Bank and Gaza where Israel has retaken every major Palestinian town, made scores of arrests of suspected terrorists and established a curfew that makes daily life and implementation of democratic processes all but impossible. Reporter's Notebook: Speechwriting 101 for Bush With confusion about the President's speech and mixed reactions around the world, what was Mr. Bush trying to accomplish? Now a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, David Frum is the former White House speechwriter who's been credited for inventing the phrase "axis of evil." Frum analyzes how Bush used words to convey his message.