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Question: Can we switch a little bit to Middle East, further west? The roadmap is back on the table, and there is a story this morning suggesting that there is a strong disagreement between the EU and the United States in the Quartet concerning how to get to the roadmap, first of all, how to design it, and secondly, the timing of it.
In that connection, can you tell us anything about February -- I'm sorry, the December 20th meeting of the Quartet? Any insights that you might be able to give us?
And secondly, can you also tell us whether the roadmap is delayed primarily because of the Israeli elections or because the United States wants to wait, does not want a roadmap until the Palestinians change their form of government?
Mr. Boucher: I'll take Option C. The United States worked very hard on the roadmap. We worked with a number of other governments, as you know. Several trips, lots of meetings, have been devoted to the subject. Assistant Secretary Burns has been out there. The task forces have met. Deputy Assistant Secretary Satterfield has been out in the region talking to people over the last few months.
These efforts have been underway and we've advanced the roadmap process considerably and we have worked a process that actually demonstrates that both parties will have obligations and responsibilities.
We have another week until the meeting, next Friday, of the Quartet. I'm sure the Quartet leaders will continue to discuss and develop the roadmap. The Secretary said yesterday that the Quartet would be expected to meet with President Bush, and I'm sure they'll want to discuss it with him, as well. But where we get to next Friday, let me leave for next Friday and we'll tell you where we are then.
The one thing I would point out is that we do consider this, this is not the only game around. There's a lot of other things that we are working on. We have, I think, welcomed the transfer of tax revenues, for example, that took place earlier this week. And that was an important step, an important step that we had worked on, remember, when Prime Minister Sharon came to visit President Bush. And by working with the Israelis and with the Palestinian side, we've now reestablished the transfer of tax revenues back to provide some of the support that the Palestinians need in their own community.
So that's been a welcome development that we've worked on and I think that's a sign of what you can expect to see, that we will continue to make progress, whether it's on roadmaps or other items, wherever we can, as we can, even though we do understand that there's an election going on.
Question: You didn't answer the last question. Is there a delay in the roadmap --
Mr. Boucher: Well, that's why I -- without saying -- I'd take Option C. There's no -- I don't want to say that there's a delay in the roadmap. We'll see where we are next Friday. We've been working it. It's been developing. How far it will develop by next Friday, we'll see.
Question: Is there still a chance, then, that the Quartet will agree a document and release it on Friday?
Mr. Boucher: I'm not predicting today whether they will or they won't. I'm just not in a position to do that today. We'll see.
