Saeb Erekat, a senior aide to Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas, has told PA radio that United States President George W. Bush will visit Israel and the PA from January 9th to 11th, following a trip to the region by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on December 19th. In Washington, a White House spokesman would not confirm the dates. The visit would be Bush's first to the region since he became president in 2001. Israeli news media said that, during his visit, he would try to reassure the Jewish state that Washington stood firm against Iran's nuclear program despite a U.S. intelligence report this week -- disputed by Israel -- that Tehran had halted its nuclear weapons program.