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Bush meets Abbas for peace talks Mid-East deal in sight, says Bush
(about 1 hour later)
US President George W Bush has arrived in Ramallah in the West Bank for talks with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. It is "absolutely possible and necessary" for Israel and the Palestinians to agree a peace deal this year, President George W Bush says.
A massive security cordon has been thrown round the city for the visit, with residents told to stay away from roofs and windows. Mr Bush was speaking after groundbreaking talks with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank.
The talks are expected to focus on the issue of Israeli settlements and the activities of Palestinian militants. Mr Bush also said Israel must "help and not hinder" efforts to create credible Palestinian security forces.
After he met Israeli PM Ehud Olmert on Wednesday, Mr Bush said he was hopeful a peace deal could be struck. Mr Bush is meeting Israeli and Palestinian leaders as part of efforts to push a US-sponsored peace process.
Mr Bush is making his first trip to Israel and the West Bank since taking office in 2001. It is his first trip to Israel and the West Bank since taking office in 2001.
He is trying to use the visit to push forward Israeli-Palestinian peace talks relaunched last November. He is trying to use the visit to push forward stalling Israeli-Palestinian peace talks which were relaunched last November.
Security measures His meeting with Mr Abbas took place amid a massive security operation in Ramallah, where Mr Abbas's headquarters are located.
'Tough choices'
Speaking after about 90 minutes of talks with the Palestinian president, which followed a meeting with the Israeli prime minister on Wednesday, Mr Bush said he was sure both men "understand the importance of two states living side by side in peace".
President Abbas and Prime Minister [Ehud] Olmert have to come together and make tough choices, and I'm convinced they will President Bush Middle East tour diaryIn pictures: Bush visit
But, he said, "in order for there to be lasting peace, President Abbas and Prime Minister [Ehud] Olmert have to come together and make tough choices, and I'm convinced they will.
"And I believe it possible - not only possible, I believe it's going to happen - that there will be a signed peace treaty by the time I leave office."
Mr Bush said Israel should not harm the process by undermining the formation of the effectiveness of the Palestinian security forces.
But he also said the process depended on Palestinians choosing the "vision" of peace and their own independent state.
For his part, Mr Abbas welcomed Mr Bush's "commitment to the peace process", which he said the Palestinian people would not forget.
He said the two sides had begun discussions on the core issues that divide them, and said he wanted a resolution before the end of the year, when Mr Bush is due to leave office.
Massive disruption for visitLasting legacy?
Mr Bush had been due to arrive in Ramallah by helicopter, but heavy fog forced the president to travel in a motorcade instead.Mr Bush had been due to arrive in Ramallah by helicopter, but heavy fog forced the president to travel in a motorcade instead.
As to the rockets, my first question is going to be to President Abbas, what do you intend to do about them? President Bush class="" href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/7178422.stm">Middle East tour diary class="" href="/1/hi/in_pictures/7179370.stm">In pictures: Bush visit He was greeted by Mr Abbas at his walled headquarters, the Muqata, and the two men briefly clutched hands as they walked up the red carpet. He was greeted by Mr Abbas at his walled headquarters, the Muqata, and the two men briefly clutched hands as they walked up the red carpet.
In Ramallah, all vehicles have been banned from the roads in districts around the headquarters of Mr Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president. All vehicles were been banned from the roads in districts around the headquarters of Mr Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president.
Snipers and thousands of other Palestinian and US security agents have flooded the area in the huge operation to safeguard the US president's security. Snipers and thousands of other Palestinian and US security agents have flooded the area in the huge operation to safeguard the president's security.
The BBC's Katya Adler in Ramallah says amid the concerns over security, the atmosphere is very nervous, with the BBC team waiting over four hours to get into the venue for a news conference with the two leaders. Mr Bush is an unpopular figure among Palestinians who view him as being overwhelmingly pro-Israeli.
Hamas excludedHamas excluded
Mr Bush's talks with Mr Abbas are set to focus in part on the Palestinians' ability to handle security. Correspondents say a central obstacle to a peace deal is the internal division among the Palestinians, with the Gaza Strip controlled by Mr Abbas's foes, the militant group Hamas.
Israel wants rocket attacks from Palestinian territories to stop. Rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza continue, with more rockets fired on Thursday morning according to the Israeli military.
class="" href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/7178714.stm">Massive disruption for visit class="" href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/7176143.stm">Lasting legacy? href="/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/middle_east_bush0s_mid_east_visit/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/middle_east_bush0s_mid_east_visit/html/1.stm', '1199810527', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=500,height=400,left=312,top=100'); return false;">Israeli and Palestinian views on US leader's visit href="/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/middle_east_bush0s_mid_east_visit/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/middle_east_bush0s_mid_east_visit/html/1.stm', '1199810527', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=500,height=400,left=312,top=100'); return false;" >In pictures
Mr Bush mentioned the issue at a joint news conference with Mr Olmert, saying: "As to the rockets, my first question is going to be to President Abbas, what do you intend to do about them?" A key issue is how President Abbas can hope to halt such attacks, say correspondents.
The answer may be very little, correspondents say. Mr Abbas has no control over the Gaza Strip, which has been ruled by the Islamist militant group Hamas since June last year.
More rockets were fired into Israel from the Gaza Strip on Thursday morning, the Israeli military said.
The US considers Hamas a terrorist organisation and Mr Bush has no plans to visit Gaza.The US considers Hamas a terrorist organisation and Mr Bush has no plans to visit Gaza.
For his part, Mr Abbas will want to know how far the US is willing to push its close ally Israel to fulfil its obligations not to expand settlements on occupied territory, our correspondent says. At a conference in Annapolis, Maryland, in late November, Mr Olmert and Mr Abbas agreed to pursue a peace agreement leading to a two-state solution in 2008.
Annapolis hopes Mr Abbas has said he would like to see an end to settlement-building by the Israelis, and the easing Israeli-imposed travel restrictions in the West Bank.
href="/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/middle_east_bush0s_mid_east_visit/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/middle_east_bush0s_mid_east_visit/html/1.stm', '1199810527', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=500,height=400,left=312,top=100'); return false;">Israeli and Palestinian views on US leader's visit href="/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/middle_east_bush0s_mid_east_visit/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/middle_east_bush0s_mid_east_visit/html/1.stm', '1199810527', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=500,height=400,left=312,top=100'); return false;" >In pictures At a conference in Annapolis, Maryland, in late November, Mr Olmert and Mr Abbas agreed to pursue a peace agreement leading to a two-state solution in 2008. Mr Bush said he understands Palestinian frustrations about Israeli military checkpoints in the West Bank but argued that they were necessary for Israelis to feel secure.
He would also like to see an easing of Israeli military roadblocks in the West Bank.
After his meeting with Mr Olmert, Mr Bush said he was "very hopeful" about the prospects for peace but acknowledged that it would be "hard work".
Mr Bush is using his visit to push that process forward and reach agreement on a Palestinian state during his last year in office.