Reporters on the Job

• Border buddies: Correspondent Rafael Frankel says that his trip across the desert from Jerusalem to the Libyan border with the Breaking the Ice peace mission was grueling. "We spent lots of time in the car, and it was very tight quarters with the same people for days on end," he says.

Rafael says the group developed strong bonds. But he is not certain of the future impact of the mission. "I think the outcome of this depends on what happens next," he says. "If it generates a lot of attention and people join this movement, then it could help mutual understanding."

Perhaps the most memorable moment of the trip for him, Rafael says, was the time the group spent on the Libyan border, waiting unsuccessfully to gain entry. "The guards were really great, really friendly, especially to the Israelis," he says. "They chatted with us for hours and really took care of us. When the decision came to deny us entrance, they seemed disappointed and almost embarrassed. What this reminded us all of was the difference between the people and the governments of the Middle East. It was the government they had real problems with."

Amelia Newcomb
Deputy world editor