Jon Alterman
Jon Alterman
anyone issue managing resolved thinks time
I don't see why anyone thinks this is going to be resolved any time soon. The U.N. will be managing this issue for years.
attention fact pays sign speak states united
He is going to speak for the administration to two very important countries. The fact that he's going is a sign of the attention that the United States pays to these relationships.
government imagine people tough
I can't imagine that we are going to get to a constituted government before more violence, more bluffing, more slamming of doors. This is for all the marbles, and people are going to play a tough game.
given questions totally
This was totally unprecedented - a live interchange with no questions given in advance.
signs
There hasn't been a 'peace process' for some time, and I don't see any signs there's going to be one resuming.
agreement bit guess please together work
My guess is that the U.S. will say we are doing what we can. The Saudis will say please do more and there will be an agreement to work together to do a little bit more.
overly people
People were overly optimistic. And now people are overly pessimistic.
almost constitution left played tie ties won
No one really won in this constitution. It left almost everything vague. Everyone played to a tie but we don't know how the ties are going to be resolved.
creating endgame growing knows national strong
No one really knows what the endgame will be. Our difficulties are creating strong national institutions, and it's a growing problem.
replaced
The roadmap is inoperative and nothing has replaced it.
gaza likely policy spill sure violence
In real terms, all U.S. policy likely comes down to now is making sure the violence in Gaza does not spill over.
elections january looking
He (Abbas) didn't come away with a whole lot and he's looking at elections in January and he can't be too pleased,
challenges frank last president puts week
There was a sense the president was on another planet. What the president has done in the last week or so is be much more frank about challenges without diluting his optimism. ... It puts him back in the debate.
admit step steps
It's a 12-step program. The first step is to admit you have a problem. They still have 11 steps to go.