RICE TO VISIT REGION NEXT WEEK

Washington, 29 Sept. (AKI) – United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will on Sunday head to the Middle East where she will visit Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Egpt and Saudi Arabia, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack announced. During the visit, Rice will “consult with those leaders who have a vision for a more moderate, peaceful, democratic, stable, and prosperous Middle East,” McCormack said.

“The situation in the Middle East, moving forward the democracy agenda in the Middle East, as well as threats to that peace and stability and moderation in the Middle East, for example, from Iran and from terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah,” will be on her agenda, McCormack said on Thursday.

Rice is expected to try and jump-start the stalled Middle East peace process during her trip. The United States has voiced support for the Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to form a national unity government, and during her tour, Rice will stop for a 24-hour visit in Israel and the Palestinian Authority and will meet with Israeli premier Ehud Olmert and Abbas.

The Arab states of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan are viewed by the administration as key players in any future peace process and in dealing with the threat of an Iranian nuclear bomb. The US government senses a new approach coming from the moderate Arab countries and would like to harness this to advance the peace process and block Iran’s nuclear aspirations, according to diplomatic sources quoted by Israel’s Jerusalem Post newspaper on Friday.

The sources said also that ever since the war in Lebanon this summer, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan have positioned themselves closer to the American view of the Middle East and are now looking for ways to act to curb Iran’s influence in the region. The post-war situation in Lebanon will also be on the agenda during Rice’s visit.

Rice’s last visit to the region took place in July during Israeli war in Lebanon, when she focused on working towards a cease-fire between the sides.

The Italian news agency AKI carries this story. There’s definitely a new surge of activity in the region, brought about by the recent Israel/Hezbollah/Lebanon clash. It’s right that the Secretary of State is going to the region. There are opportunities that need to be explored and exploited now.

[UPDATE: The US State Department announced her travel during this press briefing. Scroll down to the second paragraph.]