Rice joins Mid-East peace efforts

Rice: Influential Bush adviser

US national security adviser Condoleezza Rice is to travel to the Middle East in a further attempt to shore up the US-backed peace plan known as the roadmap.

The visit next weekend by Ms Rice follows on from trips to the region by the US Secretary of State Colin Powell and US President George W Bush.

"She'll work to build on the progress made during the president's meetings and on the secretary's meetings from his recent trips to the region," presidential spokesman Ari Fleischer told reporters.

Since the Palestinian and Israeli prime ministers committed themselves to the US roadmap, there has been no let-up in the violence.

[Rice and Powell] are both working together on an important priority for the president

Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer

In its initial phase it calls on the Palestinian Authority of Yasser Arafat to curb terror attacks, while Israel is to freeze settlement building.

Further details of US intentions in the Middle East were revealed on Monday when plans for a free trade zone in the region were outlined.

US trade representative Robert Zoellick - speaking at the World Economic Forum in Jordan - said trade was one of the key pillars of America's new Middle East initiative.

Bloodshed continues

Ms Rice is expected to spend the weekend with Israeli and Palestinian leaders after a brief stopover in the UK on Thursday and Friday.

The US Secretary of State had separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas - better known as Abu Mazen - during his visit last week.

ROADMAP MAIN POINTS

Phase 1: End to Palestinian violence; Palestinian political reform; Israeli withdrawal and freeze on settlement expansion; Palestinian elections

Phase 2: (end of 2003) Creation of an independent Palestinian state; international conference and international monitoring of compliance with roadmap

Phase 3 (2004-2005): Second international conference; permanent status agreement and end of conflict; agreement on final borders, Jerusalem, refugees and settlements; Arab states to agree to peace deals with Israel

He said Washington was paying particular attention to restoring co-operation between the Israeli and Palestinian security services.

In a policy switch, Mr Bush has pledged to do his utmost to halt the violence and bring peace to the Middle East.

Apart from the visits by senior officials, US envoy John Wolf, and William Burns - the US assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs - are both working in the region.

But the quickening diplomacy has failed to end the bloodshed.

Palestinian extremists have carried out more suicide attacks against Israel, while Israeli forces have been ordered to carry out further strikes against the militants' leaders.

Opposition to the roadmap is also rife among Israel's religious leaders.

Hundreds of rabbis publicly denounced the roadmap this week, urging the Israeli prime minister not to hand over "biblical land" in the West Bank and Gaza Strip for a Palestinian state.

"We speak on behalf of the Jewish people: past, present and future. It is forbidden to give the land away," said Rabbi Shalom Gold.