Rice to visit Israel, Palestine
Regional-USA, Politics, 11/4/2005

The US secretary of state Condaleezza Rice will tour the Middle East this month in visits to the Palestinian territories, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

In Saudi Arabia she will attend the Saudi Strategic Dialogue and consult with the Saudis on a variety of issues including support for democracy reform and counter terrorism.Ê The Secretary will then travel to Israel and Palestinian Territories to attend the Tenth Commemoration of the Assassination of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and to address the closing session of the Saban Forum.

The spokesman for the US state department said that Rice will discuss with the Israeli and Palestinian sides to help solve existing problems and responsibilities resulted from the Roadmap peace plan.

The American state secretary will also discuss problems affiliate to moving from and to Gaza after the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the sector in September.

Last Wednesday Rice held talks in Washington with the Israeli defense secretary Shaoul Mofaz who conditioned dismantling the Palestinian resistance groups by the Palestinian authority on Israel observing the needed steps specified in the Roadmap peace plan.

The American administration supports the Israeli demands on the need to dismantle the Palestinian resistance groups and asked the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to launch attacks against these groups. On the other hand, the US kept silence over Sharon's commitment to continue the settlements and building the wall of separation.

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