The «road map» peace plan is in a «coma,» a top Palestinian official said Wednesday, though later agreeing with Spain's foreign minister that it's still the best option. «We would prefer to say that the 'road map' is in a coma,» not dead, Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath told reporters. «We want to revive the 'road map' out of its coma.» The 2003 plan _ backed by the United Nations, the European Union, Russia and the United States _ calls for incremental steps leading to a Palestinian state by 2005. But violence has halted progress. Shaath is visiting European capitals this week to call attention to Israel's offensive that has killed more than 100 Palestinians in northern Gaza. «This was really a flagrant ... attack that killed 132 people, more than half of them women and children,» he said. «There was very little reaction, really» in Europe and elsewhere to denounce the violence and support the Palestinians. --More 2302 Local Time 2002 GMT
