US running out of patience for Mideast peace talks

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said Friday that the United States' patience to revive the stalled Mideast peace talks is "coming towards the end" and called on Israelis and Palestinians to resume negotiations.

Albright and Assistant Secretary of State Martin Indyk favor setting a deadline to force a decision that would result in either an agreement or a shake-up of the political process in Israel.

The negotiations have been stalemated for 16 months, and U.S. officials are doubtful that a breakthrough is imminent.

Secretary Albright said "I believe that while there are constructive discussions going on, that it is worth continuing the process. We are clearly coming to the end of this phase, and we cannot let it go on indefinitely. I have, in fact, made that point quite clear. I believe that we are coming towards the end of it. But as long as the talks are constructive, then I think it's worth going the extra mile."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has resisted the U.S. initiative that calls for Israel to withdraw from another 13 percent of the West Bank, while Palestine has accepted the U.S. proposal in principle.