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Te Aviv: U.S. President George W. Bush started his tour of the Middle East with his first presidential trip to Israel on Wednesday.
Bush plans to build momentum for stalled Mideast peace talks and clear up confusion about whether the United States is serious about confronting Iran about its suspected nuclear ambitions.
Air Force One touched down at Ben-Gurion International Airport just before noon.
President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert were waiting to greet him. A red carpet was rolled up to the steps of Bush's plane, and military band and honor guard stood on the tarmac.
"Mr. President," Bush said in a greeting to Peres. "About time I got back here," said Bush, who visited Israel in 1998 before his election to the White House.
"Nice to be here," Bush told a dignitary as he shook hands along the red carpet.
Bush's challenge is to convince sceptical governments that, with just a year remaining in his presidency and Americans deep in the process of selecting his successor, he is willing to devote the time and effort necessary to bridge decades of differences in this troubled region.
Expectations of success are low, and no one is predicting big breakthroughs as Bush visits Israel, the Palestinian-governed West Bank, Kuwait, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
Bush is expected to visit the UAE on Sunday.
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