America's new security envoy, Army Lieutenant-General William Ward, has wound up his first visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories. Ward, whose mission is to revamp the Palestinian security forces, met separately with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. The Prime Minister’s Office said Ward told Sharon that he hopes to create an apparatus "both capable of and committed to fighting terrorism and its infrastructure." Sharon said security is the key to reviving the roadmap peace plan, that calls for the creation of a Palestinian state. Ward also met with Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz (see picture).