"It doesn't look good. I agree with that":
Friday, the Bush administration did an about-face, abruptly withdrawing the text while Israeli diplomats reiteratedLynch/WashingtonPost 01.Dec.07
The incident raised the hackles of some State Department officials, who said Khalilzad has a history of diplomatic freelancing and that he had stumbled into his current predicament by failing to adequately consult the Israelis or his boss, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
"the need to encourage the parties concerned to follow diligently the joint understanding that was reached."
