President Bush Optimistic About Mideast Peace

On Monday, President Bush stepped cautiously into the most direct Mideast peacemaking of his administration. He met separately with the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to explore whether peace is possible. A day before the major Mideast Peace Conference, he said he was optimistic. The gathering is to launch the first direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians of Bush's nearly seven years in office, and has attracted Arab and other outside backing.