Obama's West Bank trip raises hope, skepticism

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RAMALLAH, Jul 23 (AP): Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas wants Barack Obama to take away one message from their meeting Wednesday - he should focus immediately on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict if elected, or any gains made in peace talks could vanish.

Obama, the presumptive Democratic candidate, made time in his jam-packed Mideast schedule for what is to be a 45-minute meeting with Abbas.

During a stop in Jordan on Tuesday, Obama suggested that he was open to the Palestinians' request, saying that he'd do his best to bring Israelis and Palestinians together, "starting from the minute I'm sworn into office." However, he also cautioned that it is "unrealistic to expect that a US president alone can suddenly snap his fingers and bring about peace in this region."

Obama was to meet Abbas at his government headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Security was tight, with helmeted riot police carrying truncheons and rifles lining the access road to the walled compound.

The candidate's visit in the West Bank generated some goodwill here, particularly since his Republican rival, John McCain, did not visit the Palestinians in a Mideast trip earlier in the summer. A Ramallah baker said he's named a bagel after Obama, to thank him for not ignoring the Palestinians.

Like people elsewhere in the region, Palestinians are fascinated with the U.S. campaign. The success of a black candidate may also have helped improve the tarnished US image in the eyes of some.