US Vice President Mr Dick Cheney leaves the Middle East today, lacking a mandate for action against Iraqi President Saddam Hussein but playing a gambit aimed at winning an Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire.
Mr Cheney returns to Washington after a 12-country, 10-day trip to Britain and the Middle East.
The trip sought support for further steps in the US-led war on terrorism and Washington's campaign to deprive Iraq of weapons of mass destruction.
But at stop after stop, Mr Cheney met Arab leaders who he acknowledged were preoccupied with the surging Middle East conflict, and who said Iraq was a far less pressing priority.
The message he received was there would be no support for tough action against Iraq while Middle East violence raged.
Several Arab leaders urged the United States to become more involved in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and to urge Israel to let Palestinian leader Mr Yasser Arafat attend an Arab summit in Beirut next week at which a new Saudi peace proposal for the Middle East will be discussed.
Mr Cheney responded in Israel yesterday with an offer to meet Mr Arafat as early as early as next week if he reins in the violence and implements a plan brokered by CIA Director Mr George Tenet to enforce a truce.