HIGHLIGHTSTwo Senators Accuse Bush Administration of Undercutting Powel on Mideast Efforts||Powell Admits Differences But Denies Being Frustrated|| Opposition to Powell Comes From So-called Hardliners Including Rumsfeld & Deputy||STORY: US Secretary of State, Colin Powell has denied that he was being undercut by White House colleagues in trying to bring peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Powell was speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press" television show. However, he did not deny that there were differences of views and hot debates within the administration adding that he was pleased with the relationship he has with his colleagues within the administration and with President Bush.

The comments came after Democratic senators John Edwards of North Carolina and Bob Graham of Florida alleged that certain unnamed members of the administration were making statements undercutting Powell during his tour of the Middle East last month.

Edwards said he believed Powell was having a very hard time doing his job.

The senator, who is seen as a possible Democratic presidential contender in 2004, was also speaking on NBC television.

Graham, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, argued that Powell was sent to the Middle East without much preparation and without a set of goals that could be realistically attained.

The Florida senator was speaking during an interview with "Fox News Sunday."

Powell and his State Department aides were reported to be locked in heated Middle East and other policy disputes with a group of so-called "hard-liners" within the administration, which includes Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, his deputy Paul Wolfowitz and a number of high-level officials in the National Security Council.

PHOTO CAPTION


U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell talks about the conflict in the Middle East and the war on terrorism on NBC's 'Meet the Press' May 5, 2002 during a taping at the NBC studios in Washington, DC. "Are there daily -- are there battles from time to time within an administration?" Powell asked rhetorically. "Of course there are. When you have people with strongly held views, you could expect to have these kinds of disagreements from time to time." He denied he was frustrated by these debates. (Photo by Alex Wong/Reuters)
- May 05 4:06 PM ET