Unofficial diplomatic discussions can play a significant role in shaping attitudes in the Middle East and Asia, but are best used as a long-term strategy without expectations for dramatic policy shifts, according to a report issued by the RAND Corporation.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice leaves Washington Tuesday for another round of talks with Palestinian and Israeli leaders, leading up to a U.S.-hosted regional conference planned for November. A senior Rice aide says it is a very important moment for efforts to revive the Middle East peace process.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says U.S. President George Bush will one day stand trial for the war in Iraq. Ayatollah Khamenei's sharp criticism of Mr. Bush and the United States was punctuated by cries of "Death to America" from worshippers during Friday prayers in Tehran.

Hamas militants are observing preparations by the Israeli military for a large-scale military operation in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, a spokesman for Hamas armed wing said Thursday.

At least three civilians were injured when Israeli aircraft fired a missile at a car with militants in a Gaza refugee camp, a local radio station said Thursday.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday that stabilizing Iraq will be a lengthy process that will not end when violence in that country - and U.S. troop strength - are reduced.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will attend an international conference of Iraq's neighbors and others in Istanbul at the end of October. The meeting being organized by Turkish and Iraqi officials will be a follow-up to a similar ministerial-level meeting held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in May.

Turkish authorities say they believe Israeli aircraft dropped two fuel tanks found last week near Turkey's border with Syria.

Egyptian officials have told European politicians a peace conference that fails to achieve a breakthrough between Israelis and Palestinians will add to anger, frustration, and extremism in the Middle East. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is hosting a round of high-level talks in Alexandria in an apparent bid to reassert Egypt's diplomatic role in the region.

Expectations are low for a Middle East peace agreement despite progress reported at a summit meeting between Israeli and Palestinian leaders on Tuesday. As Robert Berger reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, suspicions run deep on both sides.

President George W. Bush said that the fight against extremists in Iraq is crucial to U.S. security and the future of a strategic, struggling region.

AT&T Inc. announced that AT&T will exhibit at this year's GITEX show, a further sign of AT&T's commitment to developing business in the Middle East. As one of the world's fastest growing economies undergoing tremendous development, AT&T is seeing an increased demand from its global customers to provide services in the region.