"The president's priority is domestic, and the Middle East is right now
about maintaining stability and leaving key issues for the next
administration," an official said.
Officials said Bush has ordered Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to
prepare files for his successor on such issues as Arab-Israeli peace, a
Palestinian state, Iraq, Iran, Libya and other issues related to the Middle
East.
They said the president wants any successor to be able to continue U.S.
policy and implement commitments of the outgoing administration.
"While in the region she will meet with her Quartet counterparts and
senior government officials to discuss efforts to achieve positive and
lasting peace in the region consistent with the Annapolis process and the
shared-goal of a two-state solution," State Department spokesman Sean
McCormack said.
Officials said the U.S. goal of a Palestinian state in 2009 would be a
focus of the administration. They said U.S. security coordinator James Jones
has concluded a report that would outline Israeli security requirements in
the formation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank. Jones was expected to
remain in his post under any next administration.
Ms. Rice was expected to visit Gulf Cooperation Council states for the
last time under the Bush administration. Officials acknowledged that several
GCC states, particularly Saudi Arabia, have reduced contacts with the
secretary.
"There is a lot of resentment by some Gulf Arabs for the secretary's
recommendation to engage with Iran," the official said.
Officials said Bush had ordered the U.S. intelligence community to brief
presidential candidates Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama on Middle
East and other major issues. They said Bush wanted to ensure that the
candidates were updated on threats to the United States, particularly
concerning Al Qaida.
"What we proposed to the administration is give us the opportunity to
tee up intelligence substance to the leading candidates before the
conventions," U.S. National Intelligence director Michael McConnell said.
"We came up with 13 topics. If you made a list, you'd probably get 11 or 12
of the 13. It's the nominal things you would expect. We made those available
to the campaigns."
