BEIJING, Feb. 18 -- The newly-appointed US security coordinator for the Middle East has met Palestinian and Israeli leaders. Lieutenant-General William Ward was assigned to the region earlier this month to help boost Palestinian capability to stop violence and to restore order. Qi Jie takes a closer look.

    Ward met with Palestinian Prime Minister, Ahmed Qurie early Thursday. They discussed ways of cooperating to rebuild Palestinian security institutions and enable them to take over territories Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says he will withdraw from.

    Later in the day, Ward met with Sharon in Tel Aviv. Sharon told Ward that his mission to help the Palestinians reform their security services was paramount for the revival of Middle East peacemaking. Ward told Sharon that he hoped to create an apparatus "both capable of and committed to fighting terrorism and its infrastructures".

    Ward will be supervising reform of the Palestinian security forces, and also helping the Palestinian Authority improve its security wings. He will also facilitate cooperation between Palestinian and Israeli security personnel.

    Meanwhile, Brazil's Foreign Minister, Celso Amorim, is also in the West Bank town of Ramallah. Amorim met with Palestinian President, Mahmud Abbas and discussed recent developments in the region following the Sharem al Sheikh summit between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

(Source: CCTV.com)