Word: rice
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made an unusual joint visit to Saudi Arabia and Egypt this week. In Saudi Arabia, Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal welcomed the visitors and promised to "explore how we can start an embassy" in Baghdad, giving a boost to the U.S.-backed Iraqi government. Al-Faisal also opened the door to another longtime U.S. goal by agreeing to consider Saudi attendance at a new Arab-Israeli peace conference...
...stony political landscape has changed, for the worse, since Rice made her last pilgrimage here five months ago. For one thing, the Islamist militants of Hamas now control the Gaza Strip, having chased away the armed forces of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas - a man heartily championed by the White House, although less so by the Israelis, and openly despised by most Palestinians who see him as a puppet made to dance by the U.S. and the Israelis...
...Bulgarian stand-off also removed the last major hurdle for full normalization of diplomatic ties between Libya and the European Union. And the U.S. also wants in on the act: Last month, Washington named its new ambassador to Tripoli, and plans to send Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to visit soon...
...becoming something of a tradition for U.S. Presidents, during their waning months in office, to seal their legacy by trying to solve the Arab-Israeli conflict. That's the purpose of President George W. Bush's sending Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on a four-day swing through the Middle East, ending up, as usual, in the holy city of Jerusalem, which remains the key to many of the region's unsolved quarrels. But the President's attempt to succeed where Bill Clinton failed looks likely to achieve, at best, mixed results...
...bright side, the Saudis told Rice that they might be willing to attend a U.S.-sponsored summit this fall between Israel and so-called "moderate" Arab leaders. Jordan, Egypt, Bahrain and Morocco may also be invited. Saudi participation in talks with the State of Israel, which Riyadh has yet to recognize, would certainly mark a diplomatic breakthrough. But the Saudis made clear that they will show up only if the summit is aimed at discussing the "core issues" that stand in the way of a settlement. Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal described these issues as the creation...