This is just an effort to keep the Europeans from stepping in, and making a real mess of things. I'm much more comforatble with Powell there, rather than some Spanish, French, German, etc. idiot making some sort of Neville Chamberlain type of agreement. We may as well get the "credit" as long as we seem to need the Arab sheiks to stay useful fools while we finish our own business in Iraq.
I admit, its not easy watching our President look like he's kowtowing to terrorists for a short while, but any lies he wants Powell to tell Arafat in order to ultimately help our troops in the coming battles is OK with me. I don't worry, any Pallie who even thinks about cooperating with Israel will be shot by the militant ragheads. Sharon is smart enough to keep his troops safe during the "negotiation" period, besides, they probably could use the time to reload for the final battle.
The phenomenon of teens strapping bombs to themselves and blasting as many civilians as they can is patent evil as the now preferred 'weapon' of the terrorists and PLO (terrorists also). This phenomenon must be annihilated immediately, never rewarded, or it will become the 'game of choice' around the world! To negotiate with a people who seek to destroy Israel, to negotiate toward an independent Palestinian state for people who use suicide bombing with their children(!) as their weapon of choice is insane and can only lead to greater use of this demonic 'weapon'. Perhaps in another twenty years (if things continue as now, make that fifty years!) the Palestinian State issue should be raised again (maybe by lovely hatellary clintoon), but as for now, NYET!