AP soundbites:
Special Envoy George Mitchell (Dec. 15): "In their direct talks in September both Israelis and Palestinians decided together to pursue a framework agreement that would establish the fundamental compromises on all permanent status issues and it would pave the way for a final peace treaty, that remains our goal."
Special Envoy George Mitchell (Dec. 15): "Reaching this goal will not be easy by any means, the differences between the two sides are real and they are persistent but the way to get there is by engaging in good faith with the full complexities of the core issues and by working to narrow the gaps between the two sides."
