Al Jazeera (Qatar) / AFP : "US steps up Middle East diplomacy"

US steps up Middle East diplomacy

Mitchell's visit is part of US plans to re-engage Syria, a key player in regional peace efforts [AFP]

Washington appears to have stepped up diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, with a series of high-level meeting taking place in the region.

Robert Gates, the US defence secretary, and George Mitchell, the Middle East envoy, were both in the region for meetings on Sunday.

A delegation led by James Jones, the US president's national security advisor, is also due in the region in the following days.

The broad diplomatic push is an effort by Barack Obama, the US president, to breathe life into faltering talks between Israel and the Palestinians, US officials said.

Mike Hanna, Al Jazeera's correspondent reporting from Jerusalem, said the flurry of meetings illustrated the change in Washington's approach to the peace process.

"What has become clear in recent days is that the Obama administration is dealing with the issues differently ... instead of taking things issue-by-issue, bit-by-bit, it is addressing all the issues at................................
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http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/07/200972684542384562.html