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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Middle East: Rice to meet Arab leaders for urgent peace talks |
| 2009-01-07 |
| (AKI) - US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice was expected to meet Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and other Arab leaders at the United Nations in New York late onTuesday in a bid to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. "The purpose of her trip is to move forward the international efforts to create a ceasefire in Gaza," said a State Department official. Rice was due to meet Abbas, Arab ministers and other allies including Turkey's foreign minister, Ali Babacan. Babacan has been among key players in the Middle East that have been working for a ceasefire between the ruling Islamist Hamas movement that governs Gaza and Israel, which has been conducting a military offensive in the territory for eleven days. UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon intensified his diplomatic drive to secure a Gaza ceasefire on Monday and held talks with Arab League secretary-general Amr Moussa, and the foreign ministers of Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates at UN headquarters. "Our task is to find fast and real solutions. It is regrettable that the call by the Security Council has not been heeded by the parties concerned. I believe that the Security Council should live up to its responsibilities under the UN charter and bring this crisis to an end and establish a durable, permanent peace in the region," he said. The UN Security Council was to meet again on Tuesday to consider Arab calls for an immediate ceasefire in the conflict in the Gaza Strip and urgent humanitarian and medical aid for Palestinian civilians. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the 15-member body this month, was to lead Tuesday's meeting. France was reportedly working with Arab states to finalise a draft resolution for an immediate ceasefire, which included an end to the Israeli military assault as well as the firing of rockets into Israel by Hamas militants. The resolution would also provide for the provision of humanitarian aid and a resumption of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process as well as a mechanism to monitor the truce and protect civilians. While Europeans and Arabs have broadly been calling for an immediate ceasefire in the latest violence, the United States has been urging a "during and sustainable" truce. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #9 His color is not the problem, his aparent lack of inteligence and integrety , now that's the problem. Nobody gets a color choice when born. it's the kind of person you are. not the color of person you are. I find Obama to be an empty shell to be guided by his "Controllers" (Read Democratic morons) without enough smarts to tell them to go to hell. I will be very surpried and very pleased if he matures enough to tell them Go Fuck Yourselves. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2009-01-07 13:12 |
| #8 It has to do with terrorists who target children, not skin color. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2009-01-07 12:55 |
| #7 Oh yes, NS democrats are dumb because they only care about Obama's skin color. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2009-01-07 12:22 |
| #6 I've had some, "encounters" with the Klan. Condoleeza Rice is no Klansman. Or anything like them. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2009-01-07 12:20 |
| #5 g(r)omguru, that really is over the line. You don't have to like Dr. Rice, but no more comparing her to the Klan. AoS. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2009-01-07 12:01 |
| #4 I haven't had much nice to say about Rice, but that's over the line, especially given her childood experience. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2009-01-07 11:55 |
| #3 Hillary is a bitch, but an intelligent one---Miss Rice is a poster girl for the Klan. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2009-01-07 11:36 |
| #2 #1 G*d, I'm tired of that woman. We are well aware of your opionion of Rice, can't wait to hear your opinion of the new woman. |
| Posted by: bman 2009-01-07 10:11 |
| #1 G*d, I'm tired of that woman. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2009-01-07 04:49 |