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| Bush optimistic of Mid-East peace | Bush optimistic of Mid-East peace |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The US President, George W Bush, has expressed optimism about the prospects for peace in the Middle East, ahead of this week's conference in Annapolis. | The US President, George W Bush, has expressed optimism about the prospects for peace in the Middle East, ahead of this week's conference in Annapolis. |
| Speaking before holding talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Washington, Mr Bush said he wanted to see "whether or not peace is possible". | Speaking before holding talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Washington, Mr Bush said he wanted to see "whether or not peace is possible". |
| Mr Olmert said he hoped to open serious negotiations with the Palestinians. | Mr Olmert said he hoped to open serious negotiations with the Palestinians. |
| Mr Bush will later meet separately with the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, to prepare for the talks on Tuesday. | Mr Bush will later meet separately with the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, to prepare for the talks on Tuesday. |
| More than 40 countries and organisations, including Saudi Arabia and Syria, have been invited to the conference at the US naval academy in Maryland. | |
| Earlier, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators met in Washington to set out basic terms for future negotiations. | Earlier, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators met in Washington to set out basic terms for future negotiations. |
| 'Serious process' | 'Serious process' |
| Welcoming Mr Olmert to the White House on Monday, President Bush expressed optimism that the US-sponsored peace talks would succeed where many others had failed. | Welcoming Mr Olmert to the White House on Monday, President Bush expressed optimism that the US-sponsored peace talks would succeed where many others had failed. |
| "I'm looking forward to continuing our serious dialogue with you and the president of the Palestinian Authority to see whether or not peace is possible," he told the Israeli prime minister. | "I'm looking forward to continuing our serious dialogue with you and the president of the Palestinian Authority to see whether or not peace is possible," he told the Israeli prime minister. |
| We and the Palestinians will sit together in Jerusalem and work out something that will be very good and create great hope for our people Israeli PM Ehud Olmert | We and the Palestinians will sit together in Jerusalem and work out something that will be very good and create great hope for our people Israeli PM Ehud Olmert |
| "I'm optimistic, I know you're optimistic, and I want to thank you for your courage and your friendship." | "I'm optimistic, I know you're optimistic, and I want to thank you for your courage and your friendship." |
| Mr Bush will make the opening remarks at the Annapolis meeting, including a personal commitment to remain focused on the issue for the rest of his time in office. | |
| Mr Olmert said the international support from those nations which had agreed to attend the conference was "very important to us" and could make all the difference in reaching a lasting settlement. | Mr Olmert said the international support from those nations which had agreed to attend the conference was "very important to us" and could make all the difference in reaching a lasting settlement. |
| "This time, it's different because we are going to have a lot of participation in what I hope will launch a serious process negotiation between us and the Palestinians," he said. | "This time, it's different because we are going to have a lot of participation in what I hope will launch a serious process negotiation between us and the Palestinians," he said. |
| "We and the Palestinians will sit together in Jerusalem and work out something that will be very good and create great hope for our people." | "We and the Palestinians will sit together in Jerusalem and work out something that will be very good and create great hope for our people." |
| OBSTACLES TO PEACE Jerusalem Water Refugees Borders and settlements History of failed talks | OBSTACLES TO PEACE Jerusalem Water Refugees Borders and settlements History of failed talks |
| After preliminary negotiations hosted US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday, both sides said they had made major progress towards agreeing a joint document setting out the basic terms of reference for future negotiations. | |
| Yasser Abed Rabbo, a senior aide to President Abbas, said a document would be made public later on Monday or Tuesday. | Yasser Abed Rabbo, a senior aide to President Abbas, said a document would be made public later on Monday or Tuesday. |
| "There is a persistent American effort to have this statement," he told the Associated Press. | "There is a persistent American effort to have this statement," he told the Associated Press. |
| The Israeli foreign ministry spokesman, Mark Regev, said the two sides had made "important progress", but denied they had agreed a final draft. | The Israeli foreign ministry spokesman, Mark Regev, said the two sides had made "important progress", but denied they had agreed a final draft. |
| On Sunday, President Bush's National Security Advisor, Stephen Hadley, said the conference was not a negotiation session but was designed to launch negotiations. | On Sunday, President Bush's National Security Advisor, Stephen Hadley, said the conference was not a negotiation session but was designed to launch negotiations. |
| "If we get something, if they can agree on some things as an input to the negotiations, that would be fine," he said. | "If we get something, if they can agree on some things as an input to the negotiations, that would be fine," he said. |
| 'Non-binding' | 'Non-binding' |
| Palestinian optimism ahead of the conference has, however, tempered by the Islamist movement, Hamas, which has insisted that any decisions taken there would not be binding. | Palestinian optimism ahead of the conference has, however, tempered by the Islamist movement, Hamas, which has insisted that any decisions taken there would not be binding. |
| One of the group's leaders in Gaza, Ismail Haniya, said Mr Abbas had no right to make concessions in any peace deal. | One of the group's leaders in Gaza, Ismail Haniya, said Mr Abbas had no right to make concessions in any peace deal. |
| Q&A: Annapolis Possibilities of Annapolis | Q&A: Annapolis Possibilities of Annapolis |
| "The people believe that this conference is fruitless and that any recommendations or commitments made in the conference that harm our rights will not be binding for our people," Mr Haniya said. | "The people believe that this conference is fruitless and that any recommendations or commitments made in the conference that harm our rights will not be binding for our people," Mr Haniya said. |
| "It will be binding only for those who sign it." | "It will be binding only for those who sign it." |
| Mr Haniya was dismissed by Mr Abbas from his position of prime minister of a national unity government in June, shortly after Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip from the president's Fatah movement. | Mr Haniya was dismissed by Mr Abbas from his position of prime minister of a national unity government in June, shortly after Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip from the president's Fatah movement. |
| He was appointed to the role following his group's landslide victory in the January 2006 legislative election. | He was appointed to the role following his group's landslide victory in the January 2006 legislative election. |
| Another senior Hamas leader in Gaza, Mahmoud Zahhar, told the BBC that even if the group had been invited, it would be pointless participating because Israel was not prepared to end the occupation of Palestinian land. | Another senior Hamas leader in Gaza, Mahmoud Zahhar, told the BBC that even if the group had been invited, it would be pointless participating because Israel was not prepared to end the occupation of Palestinian land. |
| Hamas, which is designated a terrorist organisation by the US, EU and Israel, will not represented at Annapolis at all. | Hamas, which is designated a terrorist organisation by the US, EU and Israel, will not represented at Annapolis at all. |
| Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also warned that the conference was ''doomed to failure''. | Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also warned that the conference was ''doomed to failure''. |