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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Rice commits to Mid-East roadmap | Rice commits to Mid-East roadmap |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has held "very fruitful" talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in her bid to revive the roadmap to peace. | US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has held "very fruitful" talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in her bid to revive the roadmap to peace. |
| Speaking in Ramallah, Ms Rice said the US was deeply committed to the roadmap, and to creating a Palestinian state. | Speaking in Ramallah, Ms Rice said the US was deeply committed to the roadmap, and to creating a Palestinian state. |
| Arab governments are thought to want a greater US engagement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in return for support over Iraq. | Arab governments are thought to want a greater US engagement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in return for support over Iraq. |
| But ruling Palestinian party Hamas accused Ms Rice of taking sides. | But ruling Palestinian party Hamas accused Ms Rice of taking sides. |
| The establishment of a Palestinian state should be pursued on its own merits, not because of anything else - not because of Iran, not because of Iraq, not because of anything Condoleezza Rice US secretary of state | The establishment of a Palestinian state should be pursued on its own merits, not because of anything else - not because of Iran, not because of Iraq, not because of anything Condoleezza Rice US secretary of state |
| A Hamas spokesman, Fawzi Barhum, said her visit was serving only to "support one side [of] the Palestinian people against other". | A Hamas spokesman, Fawzi Barhum, said her visit was serving only to "support one side [of] the Palestinian people against other". |
| Hamas and Mr Abbas's Fatah organisation have been at loggerheads since Hamas won last year's election and lost Western funding for the Palestinian territories over its refusal to recognise Israel. | Hamas and Mr Abbas's Fatah organisation have been at loggerheads since Hamas won last year's election and lost Western funding for the Palestinian territories over its refusal to recognise Israel. |
| Ms Rice did not plan to meet any representative of the Hamas government during her visit. | Ms Rice did not plan to meet any representative of the Hamas government during her visit. |
| Earlier, she said that extremist forces were attempting to "make it impossible to have the kind of Middle East in which Israelis and Palestinians and other people of the Middle East can live in peace and in which democracy can make progress". | Earlier, she said that extremist forces were attempting to "make it impossible to have the kind of Middle East in which Israelis and Palestinians and other people of the Middle East can live in peace and in which democracy can make progress". |
| 'Not because of Iraq' | 'Not because of Iraq' |
| Ms Rice said on Sunday that she had heard loud and clear the call from Arab leaders for more US engagement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. | Ms Rice said on Sunday that she had heard loud and clear the call from Arab leaders for more US engagement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. |
| MID-EAST CONFLICT Palestinian unity call Mid-East awaits Rice answers Send us your comments | MID-EAST CONFLICT Palestinian unity call Mid-East awaits Rice answers Send us your comments |
| But she said her visit to Ramallah was not prompted by problems elsewhere in the Middle East: | But she said her visit to Ramallah was not prompted by problems elsewhere in the Middle East: |
| "The establishment of a Palestinian state should be pursued on its own merits, not because of anything else - not because of Iran, not because of Iraq, not because of anything. | "The establishment of a Palestinian state should be pursued on its own merits, not because of anything else - not because of Iran, not because of Iraq, not because of anything. |
| "The Palestinian people have waited a long time for their own state... and if there is anything that I can do and that the president can do to finally realise that day, why wouldn't we want to do that?" | "The Palestinian people have waited a long time for their own state... and if there is anything that I can do and that the president can do to finally realise that day, why wouldn't we want to do that?" |
| Mr Abbas said that his people would not accept temporary statehood, as mooted recently by Israel. | Mr Abbas said that his people would not accept temporary statehood, as mooted recently by Israel. |
| "We told Secretary Rice that we reject any temporary solutions, including a transitional stage, because we don't see it as a realistic option," he said at the news conference. | "We told Secretary Rice that we reject any temporary solutions, including a transitional stage, because we don't see it as a realistic option," he said at the news conference. |
| He also repeated his promise to hold early legislative and presidential elections if talks with Hamas over forming a national unity government failed. | He also repeated his promise to hold early legislative and presidential elections if talks with Hamas over forming a national unity government failed. |
| Iraq strategy | Iraq strategy |
| Ms Rice is now in Amman for talks with Jordan's King Abdullah. | |
| She will then meet Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem on Monday. | She will then meet Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem on Monday. |
| Ms Rice's trip will also take her to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in an attempt to drum up support for President George W Bush's new strategy in Iraq. | Ms Rice's trip will also take her to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in an attempt to drum up support for President George W Bush's new strategy in Iraq. |
| Ms Rice has said Arab leaders have every incentive to help as a stable Iraq is also in their interests. | Ms Rice has said Arab leaders have every incentive to help as a stable Iraq is also in their interests. |
| Both President Bush and Ms Rice said earlier they intended to step up measures against those threatening to destabilise Iraq. | Both President Bush and Ms Rice said earlier they intended to step up measures against those threatening to destabilise Iraq. |
| Mr Bush announced an increase in US troop numbers in an effort to defeat extremists and insurgents in Iraq. | Mr Bush announced an increase in US troop numbers in an effort to defeat extremists and insurgents in Iraq. |
| Ms Rice has warned that the US would oppose any Iranian or Syrian interference in Iraq, and said the US would not let either country continue activities that endangered American soldiers in Iraq. | Ms Rice has warned that the US would oppose any Iranian or Syrian interference in Iraq, and said the US would not let either country continue activities that endangered American soldiers in Iraq. |