The independent Shabab Al Iraq newspaper said Tuesday in an editorial titled "Bush will be in the region soon" that President Bush was visiting the Middle East early next year.

"Israeli news agencies announced that Bush is going to visit Israel for the first time since he was re-elected," the paper said.

It said no doubt this visit is important and was decided as President Bush "increased" his interest in committing support to the "peace negotiations" between Israel and the Palestinians.

"In spite of the fact Annapolis conference decided that Israel freezes its building of settlements and that the two sides stop violent actions, Israel doesn't commit to such decisions and still besieges the people of Palestine, still building settlements," the paper said.

It said though the visit's main goal was to focus on "peace negotiations," Iran's nuclear program will not be absent from Bush's speeches and negotiations with Israeli and Arab governments.