#Hillary Clinton to stress role of parties to end Mideast conflict: spokesman

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will make clear Friday evening that the United States remains committed to the Mideast peace process but the responsibility to end the conflict ultimately rests with the parties themselves.

The top U.S. envoy is scheduled to make a "broad-ranging review" of all dimensions of the challenges of the Middle East peace process in her speech, U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said.

"She will discuss the way forward, in particular what we need the Israeli and Palestinian leaders and negotiation teams to do in the coming weeks and months," Crowley told reporters at a press briefing. "She will remind everyone what is at stake and what the cost of the status quo are today."

Clinton chooses the Washington-based Brookings Institution's Saban Center for Middle East Policy Seventh Annual Forum as the platform to outline new U.S. approach to continue the peace process between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

The Obama administration has decided to abandon the settlement- focused process after weeks of efforts failed to make Israel renew a ban on homebuilding in the occupied land, as required by the Palestinians for a return to direct negotiations with Israel which have been stalled since mid-September.

"She'll call on both sides, with the continuing support of others in the region, you know, to begin to grapple with the core issues of the conflict -- border, security, refugees, settlements, water and Jerusalem," Crowley said. "And she will make clear that the United States remains committed to this process, but that responsibility to end the conflict ultimately rests with the parties themselves."

The spokesman rejected the idea that the peace process is back at square one, saying that "through the many, many conversations and work that we've done over the course of almost two years, we think we've built a foundation for what lies ahead."

"We believe at this point, you know, it's necessary for the parties to begin to tackle the core issues in detail," he said. " We have a good understanding of both what their expectations are, what their needs are. We have had conversations on specific details of tackling the core issues."

He refused to describe the new approach as brokering indirect talks between the parties but stressed that "it is still our intent to achieve a framework agreement on the core issues within a year. We believe that is achievable."

"And we recognize, as we've said, at some point, to get to an agreement, there has to be direct negotiation, that remains our goal," he added.

Hillary Clinton met Friday morning with Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat and Israeli Kadima party leader Tzipi Livni. Later she will meet UN special envoy Terje Roed-Larsen, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.

She met Thursday with Israeli chief negotiator Yitzhak Molho.

U.S. special envoy for Middle East George Mitchell will return to the region next Monday and have a series of meetings as part of the fresh efforts, Crowley said.

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