Observation on the Middle East

The story I see today is that Secretary of State Rice's trip to the Middle East to broker a peace deal was a failure.  That's a curious premise, because it has appeared from the beginning of the latest conflict that the Bush administration has not been actively pursuing peace.  The statements out of Washington were that there should be no cease fire until a lasting solution was found.  

Seriously?  It seems that a cease fire would be the first step to brokering a deal.  Stop the shooting.  Stop the bombing.  Stop the killing.  Stop it all so leaders can talk.  Who is going to want negotiate while their citizens are being slaughtered?  who is going to take time out from defending themselves, whichever side, to talk across a table to the enemy?  With the elevated tension in the region, it seems making those involved step back and take a breath would more likely result in a lasting peace accord rather than piling on.

While the United States should probably not be involved in this conflict at all, if it is going to participate, it should at least be a productive force for both immediate and lasting peace.