Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will travel to Washington for a “farewell” meeting with President George W. Bush, a Palestinian official said Friday, as impending leadership changes raise questions about the future of peace talks. The Palestinian leader will meet Bush at the White House on Dec. 19, Abbas aide Saeb Erekat said. The two will discuss peace negotiations with Israel, he said, but “it will also be a farewell meeting between the two men.” Bush helped launch negotiations between the sides last year with the goal of striking a peace deal by the end of 2008. But an agreement remains elusive, and talks face an unclear future as Bush leaves office and a new administration takes over. Also leaving is Abbas' Israeli negotiating partner, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who faces corruption charges and is set to step down after elections in February.
