WASHINGTON, April 26, SPA -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he failed to achieve any progress in Middle East peacetalks with President George W. Bush and was returning homewith little to show for his visit. In an interview with The Associated Press, the Palestinianleader sounded pessimistic Friday about the prospects ofachieving any deal with Israel this year despite a big U.S. push that began five months ago at a summit in Annapolis,Md. «Frankly, so far nothing has been achieved. But we arestill conducting direct work to have a solution,» Abbassaid. Abbas said the biggest obstacle is Israel's continuedexpansion of Jewish settlements on Palestinian-occupiedterritories. «We demanded the Americans implement the first phase ofthe road map that talks about the cessation of settlementexpansion,» Abbas said, expressing disappointment the U.S. hasn't exerted more pressure on Israel to stop. «This isthe biggest blight that stands as a big rock in the path ofnegotiations.»--MORE www.spa.gov.sa/549763