U.S. Urged to Step Down in Mideast
Declaring American mediation in the Middle East a failure, the EU executive urged the United States on Wednesday to stand down as primary peacemaker and let a broad alliance of nations mediate a cease-fire and a durable Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement. European Commission President Romano Prodi said the foreign ministers from the European Union should endorse a call for new negotiations, involving not only the United States, but also the European Union, the United Nations, Russia, moderate Arab states, Israel and the Palestinian Authority. This Reuters report submitted for your covenant with many files.