WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- The US State Department confirmed on Tuesday that Major-General Keith Dayton will replace outgoing Lieutenant-General William Ward to become the security coordinator to Palestine.

    "The secretary announced that in her joint press availability in Jerusalem today -- this morning. She said that President Bush has nominated General Keith Dayton to replace General Ward," StateDepartment deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said at a briefing.

    Dayton is currently director of strategy, plans and policy at the office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, US Army. He previously served as director of operations for the US Defense Intelligence Agency and director of the Iraq Survey Group, which engaged in thesearch for Iraq's weapons of mass destruction after the Iraq war.

    Ward was appointed to the region in February ahead of Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

    The new security coordinator "will take on an enhanced mission to help President Abbas and the Palestinian authority carry out their responsibility to end terror attacks, dismantle terrorist infrastructure, maintain law and order and one day provide security for their own state," US President George W. Bush said last month. Enditem ¡¡