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November 7, 2008

Rice: Creation of Palestinian State Coming
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1F31AA6:A6F02AD83191E160816E04AEB2C823CE30EB2FA2E66CBB22&
 
But US secretary of state cautions that Israel's plans for more West
Bank settlements are hurting negotiations 
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the creation of a
Palestinian state is approaching, but cautioned that Israel's plans for
more West Bank settlements are hurting negotiations. U.S. Sec. of State
Condoleezza Rice is presented with a gift by Palestinian Pres. Mahmoud
Abbas, 7 Nov. 2008Rice spoke Friday after meeting with Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank. Rice has acknowledged that an
Israeli-Palestinian agreement will not be reached by a target date of
year's end, but said efforts will continue in the administration of
president-elect Barack Obama next year. Rice has been also meeting with
several Israeli leaders, including Defense Minister Ehud Barak today.
Rice will return to the West Bank for more talks Saturday. She is now in
Israel and will fly to Jordan this evening for dinner with Jordan's King
Abdullah. She will hold meetings Saturday and Sunday in Egypt with other
envoys of what is known as the Mideast Quartet -- Russia, the U.N. and
the !
 E.U. -- negotiating regional peace, as well as the foreign ministers of
several Arab nations. In violence Friday, Israeli military officials
said suspected Palestinian militants fired two rockets from the Gaza
Strip into southern Israel, but did not cause any damage or casualties.


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