WASHINGTON -- Some 40 foreign ministers and other senior officials are being bussed to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., Tuesday for a day's discussion on the conflict that has dominated events in the Middle East since 1948. Each speaker will initially have five minutes (President Bush will have a few more) to spell out his or her proposals for establishing peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Rome isn't the only place that wasn't built in a day. Neither will a peaceful Middle East, with Israel and Palestine existing side by side. But the United States, organizer of the conference, hopes the meeting will kickstart substantive negotiations on the so-called Middle East Roadmap that will ultimately lead to final peace. The problems, as always, remain formidable. Key Issues
The Annapolis Middle East Peace Conference at a Glance
