MAJOR GARRETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: ... meeting with the Palestinian leader Mr. Arafat for about an hour and a half. White House officials saying that meeting could go at least an hour or more, possibly longer. And U.S. officials tell CNN that this timing of this Israeli attack could not possibly have been worse. No official reaction to it, but one senior administration official told CNN, "There remains far too much violence. Violence breeds violence. It is not for us to get into any specific analysis of each episode, but both sides have to do more to reduce the violence." Clearly, with the Palestinians outraged at this attack, threatening a reprisal, themselves, the administration knows they're in for some very tough days ahead, trying to keep the violence to a minimum. What was supposed to be talks with Mr. Arafat today and Mr. Barak, the Israeli leader, on Sunday to try to push both sides back into a continuation of the formal peace process itself now looks like nothing more than a salvage operation to try to minimize the violence, try to achieve some degree of calm and then maybe, at a later date, take up the question of reviving the peace process itself. Major Garrett, CNN, reporting live from the White House.
Latest Israeli Attack in Middle East Deters White House Peace Talks