President Clinton says he's determined to make a success of his meeting in Washington on Tuesday with the Israeli Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu.

But American officials have already been playing down hopes of any breakthrough in the talks which will focus on further Israeli troop withdrawals from the West Bank.

A BBC correspondent in Washington says it's no secret that the United States is deeply frustrated with the year-long deadlock in the Middle East peace process.

On Thursday, Mr Clinton will meet the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service
 

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