Bush tries new role as Mideast peacemaker

By Caren Bohan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush, whose legacy seems destined to be defined by the Iraq war, now wants to make history by brokering the Middle East peace deal that eluded so many of his predecessors.

But Bush's effort, launched this week at Annapolis, Maryland, to forge a treaty between Israelis and Palestinians by the end of 2008 faces long odds, not least because of doubts about his commitment.

Annapolis marks a huge shift for Bush, who since taking office in 2001 has shunned the kind of hands-on role in peacemaking pursued by past presidents including his father and Bill Clinton.

"This is an administration that has for seven years essentially ignored this issue," said David Rothkopf, a scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "Of course it's possible he could get lucky."

"If he manages to pull a rabbit out of a hat, it will be one of the great surprises of American diplomacy."

White House officials say Bush felt the time was right for the Annapolis conference because of circumstances in the region, including the support of Arab countries and a desire by both Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to see it through.

Well aware of the skepticism, Bush spared no effort to signal that he, too, was serious about pushing forward.

In his speech to the conference, Bush promised Abbas and Olmert that he would "do all I can to help you achieve this ambitious goal."