U.S. Middle East peace envoy George Mitchell and the chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat attend a press conference after Mitchell meeting with President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah December 14, 2010. Mitchell said on Monday he would strive to achieve "real progress" in the coming months toward a Middle East framework peace deal, despite the collapse of direct Israeli-Palestinian talks. Photo by Issam Rimawi