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Rice Heads to Germany Following Mideast Tour
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=15D237A:A6F02AD83191E160F95D499CB6A439649574F7DCC14957C0 US secretary of
state's trip aimed at rallying support for President Bush's new plan
for Iraq





Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah,
left, with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at Kuwait City
airportU.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is headed to Germany,
after a tour of the Middle East aimed at rallying support for the new
U.S. plan for Iraq.

Rice is due to meet with Germany's foreign minister later Wednesday.

She left Kuwait City earlier after talks with the emirate's Foreign
Minister Mohammad al-Sabah.

Al-Sabah said Kuwait's emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabbah, told
Rice on Tuesday that the U.S. should open a dialogue with Syria and
Iran in the interests of Iraqi and Gulf stability.

The U.S. administration has accused Syria and Iran of promoting
violence in Iraq.

On Tuesday, Rice met with foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan and the
six states of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

After the meeting, Kuwait's foreign minister said the group considers
the U.S. plan to send more troops to Iraq a way to prevent a civil
war.

Rice and her Arab colleagues also issued a statement implicitly
condemning Iranian interference in Iraq.

The United States accuses Iran of providing material support to
Shi'ite militias, and of allowing terrorists to use Iranian territory
to cross into and out of Iraq.

On her current trip to the Middle East, Secretary Rice has visited
Israel, the West Bank, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Rice is also scheduled to hold consultations in London before
returning to Washington Friday.



Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP .




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