Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, right, walks US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, following a media conference at Abbas headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2008. Making another Mideast trip to prod Israelis and Palestinians closer as hopes for a peace deal by year's end fade, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had little to say Tuesday beyond describing negotiations as "serious" and adding that Israeli settlement is unhelpful.