Powell considers possibilities for Palestinian state

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Colin Powell said today the Bush administration is talking to other countries about setting up a provisional Palestinian state and that the proposal will be taken up at a Mideast peace conference this summer. Sharply disagreeing with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Powell said "we are not in line with his position that we should not work with Chairman (Yasser) Arafat." Other top Bush administration officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, have questioned whether the administration should continue dealing with Arafat as a peace partner.