As Uprisings Transform Mideast, Obama Aims to Reshape the Peace Debate.

WASHINGTON -- Six months after the Arab world erupted in a political firestorm, President Obama has been searching for ways to link the region's historic transformation to the long-stymied peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. It is far from clear how he can do that. Mr. Obama will have a chance to reshape the debate on Thursday, when he delivers a major speech on the region at the State Department. The president plans to argue that the political upheaval raises the prospect for progress on all fronts, and will offer ''some specific new ideas about U.S. policy toward the region,'' the White House press secretary, Jay Carney, said Tuesday. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]