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Rice pledges US support for Abbas Rice pledges US support for Abbas
(30 minutes later)
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has pledged Washington's support for beleaguered Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has pledged Washington's support for beleaguered Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Speaking after talks with Mr Abbas in the West Bank town of Ramallah, Ms Rice said the US had "great admiration" for his leadership. Speaking after meeting Mr Abbas in the West Bank town of Ramallah, Ms Rice said the US had "great admiration" for his leadership.
Her comments came after Mr Abbas said talks with Hamas on forming a national unity government had collapsed.Her comments came after Mr Abbas said talks with Hamas on forming a national unity government had collapsed.
Ms Rice is also due to hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Ms Rice is also due to meet Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
Her visit is part of wider Middle East trip aimed at reinforcing moderate leaders and reviving the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Her visit is part of a wider Middle East trip aimed at reinforcing moderate leaders and reviving the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
But the BBC's Matt Prodger in Jerusalem says neither the Israeli nor Palestinian governments are ready for negotiations with one another, and there is little expectation that the visit by Ms Rice will change that. There is no dialogue now Mahmoud AbbasPalestinian leader href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/5398282.stm" class="">Rice courts moderate Arabs But the BBC's Matt Prodger in Jerusalem says neither the Israeli nor Palestinian governments are ready for negotiations with one another, and there is little expectation that the visit by Ms Rice will change that.
'No dialogue' At a joint news conference in Ramallah, Ms Rice reiterated Washington's support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Shortly before he was due to meet Ms Rice, Mr Abbas said month-long national unity talks with the Hamas-led government had collapsed. "You have the strong commitment of the United States to that cause and the personal commitment of me and the personal commitment of the president," she told Mr Abbas.
We have to start from square one Mahmoud AbbasPalestinian leader href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/5398282.stm" class="">Rice courts moderate Arabs "There is no dialogue now," said Mr Abbas. She said the US was very concerned about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the West Bank and Gaza, and promised to "redouble our efforts to improve the conditions for the Palestinian people".
A preliminary agreement with Hamas to form a coalition with Fatah "is now over and we have to start from square one," he added. 'Factional fighting'
Mr Abbas indicated he might use his executive powers to dissolve the Hamas-led government if the stalemate continues. Mr Abbas meanwhile said talks with Hamas to form a national unity government had collapsed.
"There is no dialogue now," he said. "I have also said that dialogue cannot continue forever.
"Therefore, we have to think long and hard about what we are going to do and what is the next step going to be."
The Palestinian Authority has faced a political crisis since Hamas won elections in January. Its refusal to recognise Israel and renounce violence triggered a Western boycott.The Palestinian Authority has faced a political crisis since Hamas won elections in January. Its refusal to recognise Israel and renounce violence triggered a Western boycott.
Mr Abbas has been seeking to form a coalition government with his more moderate Fatah party on a platform which would be acceptable to the international community. The Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya criticised Ms Rice's visit.
On Tuesday, Ms Rice said the Palestinians "need a government that can engage the international community and can engage the broad consensus that a two-state solution is the answer". He said Ms Rice "cares only to rearrange this region and to rearrange the Palestinian scene in a way that serves the American and Israeli agenda", the Associated Press news agency reported.
Factional fighting Over the past month, Mr Abbas has been seeking to form a coalition government with his more moderate Fatah party on a platform which would be acceptable to the international community.
This is Ms Rice's first trip to the region since the ceasefire in August which ended the month-long conflict between Israeli forces and Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.
She has already met Egyptian and Saudi leaders.
Many commentators believe the purpose of her trip is to illustrate US engagement in order to reassure pro-western Arab governments in Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, says the BBC's Jon Leyne in Jerusalem.
Meanwhile an 11th person has died in fighting between Hamas and Fatah gunmen in the West Bank and Gaza over the past few days.Meanwhile an 11th person has died in fighting between Hamas and Fatah gunmen in the West Bank and Gaza over the past few days.
In the latest violence, unidentified masked gunmen killed a Hamas leader in the West Bank, a day after Fatah-linked al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades militants threatened to kill senior Hamas members.In the latest violence, unidentified masked gunmen killed a Hamas leader in the West Bank, a day after Fatah-linked al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades militants threatened to kill senior Hamas members.