Bush names Fraser to monitor Mideast 'road map'
Thu Jan 10, 2008




JERUSALEM, Jan 10 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush has named Lt. Gen. William Fraser to monitor the Israeli-Palestinian "road map" peace plan, the White House said on Thursday.

The long-stalled road map, which underpins Bush's renewed push for an agreement to create a Palestinian state, calls on Israel to halt all settlement activity and for the Palestinians to rein in militants.

Fraser, who has served as assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will "help monitor roadmap commitments", White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.

At a news conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah earlier in the day Bush said: "We have agreed to a trilateral process and want to help the Israelis and the Palestinians resolve their differences over road map issues."

Bush planned a statement in Jerusalem at 5:15 p.m. (1515 GMT) on his meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders over the past two days.

"He will outline the parameters of the vision that he has talked about the last two days and call on the leaders to exercise their commitment to fulfill their agreements

www.reuters.com