Rice in Middle East for fresh peace push:"I'm not coming with a proposal. I'm not coming with a plan

[maddezmom]

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she will not present any concrete new peace plan to Israelis and Palestinians when she makes a fresh effort to revive stalled negotiations.

"I'm not coming with a proposal. I'm not coming with a plan," Rice told reporters on her way to the Middle East before arriving in Tel Aviv on Saturday, according to a State Department transcript of her remarks.

U.S. officials have sought to play down expectations for the trip, Rice's eighth to the region during her two years as secretary of state, and have suggested she is testing the waters to see what might be possible.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070113/wl_nm/rice_diplomacy_dc

[Cooley Hurd]

1. At least she's consistent...

:crazy:

[Joe Bacon]

20. She is the most INCOMPETENT Secretary of State EVER!

Now, Colinoreo can sleep at night, someone has surpassed him in incompetency!

[IndianaGreen]

23. She is as consistently incompetent and neglectful as her boss

It is the Bush's regime disdain for negotiations and diplomacy, and its love of military might, that is responsible for the worsening situation between Israel and the oppressed Palestinians, not to mention her Arab neighbors. America's shameful role in the Lebanon war has forever eliminated our country as a broker of any peace in the Middle East.

[CJCRANE]

2. No one could have imagined a plan. nt

[Connie_Corleone]

3. Well, what the hell is she doing there?

[maddezmom]

6. from yesterday: Rice to head to Middle East with Iran in her sights

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2685696&mesg_id=2685696

[yojon]

17. Didnt you hear? They are having a sale on shoes

at the Beirut Ferangamo's. Silly....

[kestrel91316]

27. She's probably there for a sale on Manolo Blahniks.

[bluedog]

4. then why in he** are you there? n/t

[MissWaverly]

15. She's there to GO SHOPPING, of course, like always

They see this as one big party, while should they present a peace plan, when Brent Scowcroft
said that it was critical to win support of the Arab states for our presence in the
Middle East. He was on the Sunday talk shows last Sunday.

[Olney Blue]

5. In fact, I'm not coming with anything......

:eyes:

Guess what- they don't need to "play down expectations." We don't have any with this SOS.

[GalleryGod]

22. I'll only be coming, when I'm with My Hus...err the President

And I COME LOUD...good thing Camp David's in the Woods and Laura has a noise sleep machine!

[Ilsa]

7. The pres.* of Low Expectations found the right Sec of State:

"U.S. officials have sought to play down expectations for the trip..."

[Benhurst]

8. Then why is she going to Tel Aviv? Is Gucci having a shoe sale?

:shrug:

[billyoc]

9. "And I'm not coming with any credibility." n/t

[Eugene]

10. (AP) Rice: U.S. won't 'pull the plug' on Iraq

Rice: U.S. won't 'pull the plug' on Iraq

By ANNE GEARAN, AP Diplomatic Writer

8 minutes ago

JERUSALEM - Americans' skepticism about Iraq will not change until they
see progress, but the U.S. will not "pull the plug" on the war, Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice said.

Rice, at the start of a Mideast trip, would not detail any backup strategy
if President Bush's updated war plan comes up short or if the Iraq government
fails to hold up its end.

"We're going to get an opportunity to see whether or not this is working,
whether or not the Iraqis are living up to their obligations," Rice said Friday.

The top U.S. diplomat decried what she called "the notion ... that, 'Are you
just going to pull the plug?'"

"We're not pulling the plug on Iraq," she said.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070113/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/rice

[goforit]

11. Oh yah, she's coming with a plan.....A ALL OUT WAR PLAN!!!!

[The Backlash Cometh]

12. "I'm coming to get camel hair boots"

[Eugene]

13. Reuters: Saudi Arabia to seek Iraq clarification from Rice

Saudi Arabia to seek Iraq clarification from Rice
13 Jan 2007 11:44:54 GMT
Source: Reuters

RIYADH, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia, concerned over an eventual U.S. withdrawal
from Iraq, will seek clarification of Washington's new Iraq strategy when Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice visits next week.

"We are waiting for explanations that will detail this strategy and we hope to hear
them in the Secretary of State's visit," Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal
said in a news conference with visiting Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema
on Saturday.

"The unity and independence of Iraq are necessities, as well as creating peace, and
it's clear that these have not been achieved yet. So there has to be a change in Iraq
policy."

-snip-

Saudi Arabia, a leading Sunni country fearful of the influence of Shi'ite Iran in Iraq,
is worried that Washington will pull out of Iraq prematurely to end an unpopular war.
Iran-allied Shi'ites could dominate if the U.S. leaves too soon, it fears.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L1312735.htm

[LonelyLRLiberal]

14. If she were a corporate executive, she'd be fired!

Unless of course, she worked for CEO George W. Bush, moran-in-chief.

[harun]

25. Yes, a long time ago 0 RESULTS on any front (n/t)

[bahrbearian]

16. Bush/Rice Diplomacy

Offer nothing, plan nothing,..
"We did talk to Iran, they offered nothing and had no plans"
"We did talk to Sryia ,but they offered us nothing and had..."
"We did talk to Lebanon ,but they offered us nothing and had..."
"We did talk to North Korea ,but they offered us nothing and had..."

[rodeodance]

18. Rice starts Mideast tour 'without a peace plan' AFP

Rice starts Mideast tour 'without a peace plan' by Sylvie Lanteaume
36 minutes ago

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070113/wl_mideast_afp/usmideastdiplomacyrice_070113162941

JERUSALEM (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has arrived in Israel at the start of a Middle East tour to take another crack at reviving the peace process but without a specific plan to resolve the conflict.


She was due to hold talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders before heading to Arab capitals to rally support for a new US strategy in Iraq and to counter Iran's alleged interference in the war-ravaged country.

Rice said she was not coming with a specific plan to resolve the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but was in the region to listen.

"I am not coming with a proposal. I am not coming with a plan," she told the accompanying press during a stopover in Shannon, Ireland Saturday.

"A couple of things are crystal clear: if you don't lay groundwork very well, it is not going to succeed.

"And I think no plan can be 'Made in America'. There are too many important stakeholders and any progress on the Israeli-Palestinian front is going to require all of the parties."

[rodeodance]

19. Rice starts Mideast tour 'without a peace plan' AFP

Rice starts Mideast tour 'without a peace plan' by Sylvie Lanteaume
36 minutes ago

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070113/wl_mideast_afp/usmideastdiplomacyrice_070113162941

JERUSALEM (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has arrived in Israel at the start of a Middle East tour to take another crack at reviving the peace process but without a specific plan to resolve the conflict.


She was due to hold talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders before heading to Arab capitals to rally support for a new US strategy in Iraq and to counter Iran's alleged interference in the war-ravaged country.

Rice said she was not coming with a specific plan to resolve the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but was in the region to listen.

"I am not coming with a proposal. I am not coming with a plan," she told the accompanying press during a stopover in Shannon, Ireland Saturday.

"A couple of things are crystal clear: if you don't lay groundwork very well, it is not going to succeed.

"And I think no plan can be 'Made in America'. There are too many important stakeholders and any progress on the Israeli-Palestinian front is going to require all of the parties."

[Spazito]

21. She is not in Tel Aviv to discuss a peace plan, imo

She is there to firm up the plans for Iran and re-assure the Israeli government that the US is going to take on Iran.

I don't know how much more evidence is needed to see that Iran is next on the attack list, not with ground troops, but by air. I have seen enough, that's for sure.

[Imagevision]

24. Rice is going to explain the real deal, and to forget about deadlines, that

Bush was only making a speech to the American people so he could continue the stay the course plan, al-Malaki shouldn't have to worry, all that Bush is concerned with is the Oil acquisitions for the American oil companies.

[kestrel91316]

26. Then why are you wasting the taxpayers' money coming at all? Huh?