BARACK Obama will visit a major Islamic capital and deliver one of his trademark stirring speeches during the first 12 months of his presidency, his national security adviser Greg Craig has revealed.

Mr Craig, who was senior adviser to Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Assistant to former president Bill Clinton, talked about Senator Obama's plans for better engagement in the region during a seminar organised by the New America Foundation, attended by Democratic Party delegates and academics on Wednesday.

Dealing with the Middle East and re-energising peace talks would be an early priority for an Obama administration, he said.

A speech would be a security nightmare, but would underscore the new approach an Obama presidency would bring to the Middle East - including engagement with America's enemies as well as its friends.

Mr Craig said the administration would go far beyond simply trying to deal with the Palestinian-Israel situation, consulting with a wide range of Middle Eastern countries, in what analysts have described as the "grand bargain" approach.