Even after new land-for-security peace accords between Israel and Palestine at Maryland's Wye River Plantation, true peace is still far away at the end of a dark and dangerous road.
That's according to Omar Kader, a former Brigham Young University professor who has often been an adviser to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat."I think people need to think of the peace process as a 500-step trek. And we are at, maybe, step No. 33," Kader says.
Kader was born in Utah to Palestinian Arab immigrants. He later joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a political science professor at BYU, he became known as an expert on the Middle East and terrorism - and was a well-known activist for Palestinian causes.
That brought Kader - who now owns a security and technology consulting business in Washington - to the attention of Arafat. And for years, Arafat has sought briefings and advice from Kader about U.S. politics - and how America would likely react to various situations and initiatives.
During discussions surrounding the earlier 1993 Oslo agreements reached by Arafat and former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Kader was even a conduit of information between the Palestinians and the U.S. government.
He conveyed questions from Palestinians to the U.S. State Department about whether America would support a peace agreement then, if developed through back channels. They were skeptical that America would but were thrilled when Kader reported back that the answer was yes.
Kader said the recent Wye River talks involved only the highest-level central decisionmakers, and many of even their top advisers weren't in on negotiations. He said agreements reached are significant steps along the road to peace - but are far from the final steps.
"Most people don't realize how difficult these issues are," Kader said.
He doesn't believe that situation, therefore, allows progress by leaps and bounds. "I think the peace process will go from one accord to another over many years," Kader said.
Still, even without achieving final peace, Kader said, the new accords "probably transformed the Middle East as much as the Oslo accords" where Israel and Palestinians talked directly for the first time and agreed to work for peace between them.
He adds, "Arafat and (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu showed real leadership because real leadership is departing from public opinion. They did that. That's why we're having riots and fights," in Gaza and political challenges to Netanyahu.
Kader said continuing violence is almost certain for a time as extremists on both sides try to sabotage progress.
It is reminiscent of when Kader five years ago - on the day President Clinton, Arafat and Rabin signed the Oslo accords - was euphoric about progress then but also sadly warned that violence would come to challenge it. He was right. Attacks came. And not much later, Rabin was assassinated.
Kader also says U.S. involvement is needed to keep the step-by-small-step peace process moving.
For example, he said U.S. incentives offered to both sides to help prod the latest accord will cost in the range of $1 billion to $2 billion - but accords likely would not have happened without them.
It not only offered such things as security coverage for Israel if attacked by missiles but billions to improve infra-struc-ture for Israel and Palestine.
"That will be money for such things as American companies building sewers and roads, clinics and hospitals, and schools," he said. "You need economic progress as well as political progress for real peace."
Kader is maybe most excited about a symbolic trip Clinton is expected to make next month to the Gaza Strip to visit Palestinians.
"Twenty-one years ago in a campaign speech . . . President Carter merely mentioned the words, `Palestinian rights,' and was beaten up for it," he said. "Now, 21 years later, we have a president who is visiting the Palestinian capital in Gaza."
Kader said, "It shows how far we've come in 21 years." And it may also show how long the journey to true peace is yet to come - and the years it may require.