The Next Step in the Middle East

United States envoy Anthony Zinni is heading to the Middle East Thursday, in hopes of defusing the stepped-up violence in that region. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has called the U.S. the key to peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians — but he is skeptical that anything good will come out of Zinni's visit.

"Not to forget that he came here twice and he didn't achieve any positive results from [Sharon]," Arafat said yesterday.

The prospects for peace seem as slim right now as they have in a long time. This hour, former U.S. Ambassador to the Middle East, Dennis Ross, and Boston Globe columnist H.D.S. Greenway examine what needs to be the next step to defuse the escalating war between Israel and the Palestinians.

Guests:

Dennis Ross, Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy and former US Ambassador to the Middle East

H.D.S. Greenway, columnist and former foreign correspondent and editor for the Boston Globe