LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get to the latest on the crisis in the Middle East. Our Wolf Blitzer is checking in from Jerusalem this morning to update us on what is happening there. And our John King is standing by at the White House, where Colin Powell is set to meet with President Bush. Let's start with John King -- good morning, John. I am assuming that President Bush and Secretary Powell have spoken before this meeting that they'll have. But what should we expect to see or hear today?</s>JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: They spoke repeatedly throughout the mission. Look for the president and secretary of state, if he speaks in that Oval Office meeting, to try to make the case that there was some progress on this very difficult, delicate mission. Much criticism in the region, in the Arab world; they say this administration has proven itself to be ineffectual with the Israeli government, because Prime Minister Sharon ignored repeated calls from the president and the secretary of state to end the Israeli military offensive in the Palestinian territories. Back here in the United States, some conservatives and some Democrats criticizing the administration for sitting down with Yasser Arafat at all, saying that there is evidence that he is sponsoring terrorism. Therefore, the president should not have diplomatic relations with him. So criticism from all sides, if you will, but they will try to make the case here today, Leon, is that some progress was made. There is not as much violence on the ground as there was at the beginning of the trip, and that the administration will continue to seek slow but steady progress. One thing to look for, we are told, the CIA Director George Tenet is very likely to go to the region very soon to follow up on Secretary Powell's mission. It will be interesting to see if we get a formal announcement of that from the president here at the White House today, when he hears from the secretary an up close update in just a few minutes.
Bush and Powell to Meet Later This Morning