Bush actively involved in monitoring, assessing mideast developments

US President George Bush is actively involved in "monitoring and assessing" the developments in the Middle East from his ranch in Crawford, Texas where he is spending the Easter weekend, White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe told reporters at an early morning briefing in Crawford yesterday.

The President, Johndroe said, discussed Middle East developments with his National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice several times during the day, Thursday, March 28, and spoke again with her and with Secretary of State Colin Powell last night. Rice and Powell are in Washington.

"This morning, the President received his usual intelligence briefing and then presided over a meeting of the National Security Council via secure video, a rather lengthy meeting...over an hour," the White House spokesman said, indicating that the Middle East was the topic of discussion.

Johndroe said the Bush administration is in touch with U.S. diplomats on the ground in Israel and with its Middle East envoy General Zinni, who is in the area to try to get the Palestinians and the Israelis to implement the Tenet security plan so they can then move into the Mitchell plan for achieving peace in the region.

Zinni, Johndroe said, "is in touch with both parties and we are monitoring the events very closely and assessing appropriate responses to the ongoing developments in the region."