To the Point

Middle East Peace Talks Convened in London

All parties involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict--except Israel--met in London today at the invitation of Prime Minister Tony Blair to help the Palestinians build the institutions required for an independent state. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas agreed that Palestinian leaders will overhaul the late Yasser Arafat's chaotic security system, and that the US will monitor progress. Secretary Rice called on Israel to assure that a Palestinian state is "viable" and "take no action" to prejudice a final settlement. We hear more about today's meeting, US involvement in Middle East peace and the impact of this week's events in Lebanon, with Israelis, Palestinians, and Middle East experts from the Royal Institute of International Affairs and the Brookings Institution. Making News: US Supreme Court Outlaws Death Penalty for Minors The United States will no longer allow the death penalty for criminals under 18. In a five-to-four ruling, the US Supreme Court said today that capitol punishment for juveniles violates the constitutional prohibition against "cruel and unusual punishment." David Savage of the Los Angeles Times traces the history of the Court's recent decisions on capital punishment as well as the logic behind the dissenters' reasoning. Reporters Notebook: US Pushes Abortion Issue at UN Conference on Women's Equality Delegates from 100 countries are meeting this week at the UN to review progress since the landmark global Conference on Women 10 years ago in Beijing. The US delegation has accused non-governmental organizations of trying to "hijack" the event for a pro-abortion agenda. One NGO has blamed the US for "hijacking" the session for its own agenda. Reuters' Evelyn Leopold says the battle over abortion will insure a limited outcome.