Subscribe to Print Edition | Wed., January 16, 2008 Shvat 9, 5768 | | Israel Time: 17:36 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (R) and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal prepare for a news conference in Riyadh Tuesday. (Reuters) Last update - 23:30 15/01/2008 Rice: Arab nations should reach out to Israel to nudge Mideast peace By The Associated Press Tags: Condoleezza Rice  U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Tuesday that Arab nations must do more to reach out to Israel, as a way to do their part to nudge a Mideast peace accord into being. Rice spoke from Saudi Arabia, at the side of its foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, giving her words and the U.S. position more weight. U.S. President George W. Bush, traveling through the Mideast for eight days in part to build support for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, made the same request from Jerusalem earlier in his trip. She stepped gingerly around the sensitive question of whether the outreach should include Arab countries establishing diplomatic relations with Israel, their historical enemy. The only Arab nations that now have relations with Israel are Jordan and Egypt. Advertisement "Diplomatic relations, of course, is another matter and undoubtedly down the road," Rice said. "We hope that as progress is made between Israelis and Palestinians that there will be more efforts, that there will be more opportunity for outreach. But this will move at different speeds for different countries, we understand that." The U.S. president views the support of Arab neighbors as crucial to the ability of Palestinian leaders to strike and sustain a final peace deal with Israel, which Bush wants done by the end of the year. He also sees Arab acknowledgment of Israel's place in the region as vital to the process. But the U.S. request seemed a tall order. At Rice's side, Saud said, "I don't know what more outreach we can give the Israelis," he said, referring to an Arab peace plan and the sentiment in the region that Israel hasn't been meeting its obligations under an internationally sponsored roadmap, and that the U.S. is too lenient on that point. Saud said that Israel's continued settlement activity in the Palestinian territories cast doubt on the seriousness of the negotiations. Another prime topic of conversation between Bush and regional leaders during his eight-day trip has been Iran. In a roundtable earlier in the day with a small group of reporters, Bush said he has faced persistent questions during his trip about a new U.S. intelligence estimate that Iran had abandoned a secret nuclear weapons program in 2003. That conclusion contradicted Bush's claim that Iran is actively pursuing nuclear weapons now. The president said he made clear that all options are on the table for dealing with Iran. At the same time, he said he has told leaders of Sunni Arab allies - who want the U.S. to keep Shiite Iran's ambitions in check but are nervous about the impact of any military confrontation - that he wants a diplomatic solution. Saud called Iran a neighborly, important country in the region. "We don't harbor any evil for Iran," he said in Arabic. But we hope that Iran will respond to the demands of the international legitimacy at the UN and abide by (International Atomic Energy Agency) laws in its nuclear program and avoid escalation. Under any circumstance, escalation in the region is in nobody's interest." The president spoke to reporters in an ornate room of the guest palace in this kingdom which holds the world's largest supply of oil. With oil prices having surpassed $100 a barrel this month, Bush urged OPEC nations to put more oil on the world market. He said he would make the request personally when he met later with Saudi King Abdullah. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which accounts for about 40 percent of the world's needs, next meets Feb. 1 in Vienna, Austria, to consider increasing output. "When consumers have less purchasing power because of high prices of gasoline - in other words, when it affects their families - it could cause this economy to slow down," Bush said. "I hope that OPEC, if possible, understands that if they could put more supply on the market it would be helpful." Shortly after Bush spoke, the Saudi oil minister said the kingdom, a key player in OPEC, would raise oil production when the market justified it. Bush also issued a stern warning to Iran days after a Jan. 6 confrontation with U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf. He said his decision to impose serious consequences will be the same whether an attack against an American vessel resulted from an order by the government in Tehran or a rash decision by an Iranian boat captain. "It's not going to matter who made the decision," Bush said. "If they hit our ships, we will hold Iran responsible." U.S. officials claim Iranian speedboats swarmed and threatened three Navy warships in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that is the only entry and exit to the Persian Gulf. Iran has denied that its boats threatened the U.S. vessels, saying the incident, which ended peacefully, was a normal occurrence. Bush said it would be up to the captains of the American ships to determine if their vessels are in jeopardy from Iranian boats and there's no time to be spending a lot time on the phone trying to figure out what to do. "Whoever... is in control of these boats, best be careful," he said of the Iranians. On oil, Bush acknowledged that there is little excess capacity in the marketplace, with many oil-producing countries already operating full-out. And he said a growing demand for oil, especially from fast-growing India and China, is helping to strain supply and lift prices. Many economists agree, saying that oil prices may not fall much even if Saudi Arabia and other OPEC countries raise production. Asked whether he thought the U.S. economy was sliding toward recession, as some economists predict, Bush said, "These are times of economic uncertainty, but I have confidence in the future. Bush's administration and Congress are looking at ways, such as tax cuts, tax rebates or other incentives, to give the economy a boost but he declined to discuss specifics. I'm going to watch very carefully,"he said. Rice appeared with Saud after making a quick departure from Bush's side to go to Iraq, slipping away from the Saudi capital at 6:40 a.m. Tuesday and returning in time for dinner. Bush said he decided to send her - but not go himself - because he had been encouraged by signs of legislative progress in Baghdad and thought she could help push the momentum by her very presence. In Baghdad, Rice congratulated the prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, on the passage of U.S.-sought legislation that reinstates former Saddam Hussein loyalists to government jobs and pushed for progress on other benchmark laws. At a news conference there, she said political progress has moved along quite remarkably and shows that last year's increase of U.S. troops in the country was paying dividends. Bush said he has made broader Arab participation in Mideast peace a key element of his trip. "Part of my mission was to make clear that one reason why the talks failed in the past is that there wasn't participation by the neighbors," Bush said. He said he was convinced that the Arab leaders want to see the creation of a Palestinian state in a peace agreement with Israel. But, he said Abdullah asked him why he was so optimistic. They wanted to make sure that the efforts by the United States were real, the president said. Earlier, Bush met with Saudi business owners and visited al-Murabba Palace and The National Museum. He ended the day by riding out into the desert to the king's weekend retreat, an excursion that repays the visits that the king, while crown prince, made to Bush's Texas ranch in 2002 and 2005. At the farm where 260 Arabian horses are kept in air-conditioned stables, Bush was treated to a trainer parading sleek horses around a showing ring. And he wore a full-length fur-lined robe to dinner, with a sweater vest underneath against the cold temperatures. The president was spending the night at the ranch and having breakfast with the king before leaving for Egypt. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Diskin's faulty math Haaretz finds the Shin Bet estimate of Palestinian civilian casualties is too low. Wooing minorities The color of Barack Obama's skin has returned as an issue to the campaign.   1.   Reaching out to Israel? 23:45  |  Ibrahim 15/01/08   2.   has rice finally come out of her coma? 23:52  |  v hardman 15/01/08   3.   Until they are ready to stop the incitement... 23:56  |  Avi 15/01/08   4.   why *not* recognise israel? do so and all else will follow. 00:13  |  frenz 16/01/08   5.   More pearls of wisdom from Bush & Co. 00:18  |  gearoid 16/01/08   6.   Lets just accept that there will never be peace 00:28  |  Wandering Gentile 16/01/08   7.   Maybe an invitation to tea? Lieberman..? 00:37  |  Stephen ( Geneve ). 16/01/08   8.   Dear Condi: Arab nations should reach out.... 00:51  |  David James Vickery 16/01/08   9.   Been there, done that 01:07  |  W 16/01/08   10.   Rice is right !!! 01:32  |  Swiss (Dino) 16/01/08   11.   suuuure thats going to happen, w/starvation and attacks in gaza 01:36  |  muslim 16/01/08   12.   Rice is wrong 01:53  |  Frank 16/01/08   13.   Arab nations don`t reach out for peace 01:55  |  Jon 16/01/08   14.   Arabs, Israel and Iran 02:22  |  Jerusalem Jew 16/01/08   15.   #1 any return of refugees = not "fair" 02:34  |  McQueen 16/01/08   16.   Arabs won`t reach out for peace 02:56  |  * BEN JABO 16/01/08   17.   How about allowing Israelis and Jews to visit? 04:48  |  Shaul 16/01/08   18.   Arab rulers Vs Arab Streets 05:56  |  Janet 16/01/08   19.   Arab nations need to reach out to Israel? 07:53  |  Johnboy 16/01/08   20.   Rice. Are you obtuse? 17:22  |  Frank 16/01/08

Today Online 3 Gaza civilians killed by IAF as Qassam rockets pound Israel Responses: 211 IDF troops kill Islamic Jihad's top West Bank commander Responses: 74 Rosner: PM tells U.S. Jews he wants to hear their voice on J'lem Responses: 23 Amira Hass: Israelis don't get the extent of their domination over the Palestinians Responses: 67 Alexander Yakobson: Horrors of Amona leaves gov't too scared to evacuate outposts Responses: 18 Rosner's Domain Jewish leaders: "falsehood and innuendo used in mischaracterization of Obama" (WTR) Rosner's Mailbox: And what if Obama's a Muslim? With focus on Obama-Clinton race, veep chatter begins Olmert to American Jews: I want your voice on Jerusalem The case for bombing Iran (WTR) More Headlines 16:55 Three Gaza civilians killed in IAF strike as rockets pound southern Israel 17:24 Mubarak: Palestinian question is core of conflict in Middle East 16:45 Security forces evacuate two small outposts in West Bank 14:25 As the Obama-Clinton race heats up, running mate chatter begins 14:02 German archives' opening helps Israeli man track his father's death in Holocaust 16:29 Lieberman blasts Arab MKs, pulls party out of government 17:20 Bill to absolve Web sites of liability for talkbackers passes first round 16:30 Seven injured when artillery shell explodes at Haifa naval base 16:53 Bar-On: Lecturers holding 100,000 students hostage because of cash Previous Editions Select Day 15 jan 14 jan 13 jan 11 jan 10 jan 09 jan 08 jan 07 jan 06 jan 04 jan 03 jan 02 jan

Special Offers Advertisement Dead Sea Salt Beauty and skin care from the Dead Sea. Coupon code HAARETZ for 10% off! Teach & Study Program make a difference in Israel FAREWELL ISRAEL New Film The Coming War for Islamic Revival - View Movie Trailer Inbal Jerusalem Hotel Unbeatable rates at the Finest hotel in Jerusalem Long-term Israel programs MASA is your gateway. More programs. More grants. Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations AMERICANS CHOOSE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE U.S. citizen in Israel vote in Democrats-Abroad official global primary.

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved