Rice visits traditional site of Jesus' birth to promote peace talks

[struggle4progress]

Source: Associated Press

Wednesday, October 17, 2007 7:17 AM
By DALIA NAMMARI


... Her day began in biblical Bethlehem in the West Bank, with a tour of the Church of the Nativity, built over Jesus' traditional birth grotto ...

Read more: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/national_world/stories/2007/10/17/rice.html

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Rice Visits Historic Bethlehem Church
Wednesday, October 17, 2007; 9:53 AM
By Michael Abramowitz
Washington Post Staff Writer
... The church stop was the latest example of how Rice is trying to use her four-day Mideast visit to expand her contact beyond traditional diplomats and use her own compelling personal story--including her childhood in the segregated South -- to connect with Israelis and Palestinians ... To reach the church, Rice's motorcade passed through a section of the concrete wall built by the Israeli government to foil would-be suicide bombers--a hated symbol of occupation, and a significant inconvenience, for residents of Bethlehem and the rest of the West Bank. At a news conference Monday with Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas, Rice was asked about the failure of the Israeli government to ease checkpoints and other limits on Palestinian movement ...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/17/AR2007101700746.html


Palestinians Disappointed with Outcome of Rice’s Visit
Written by TML Staff
Published Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Palestinian officials expressed disappointment with the pronouncements of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice over the importance of a joint Palestinian-Israeli statement to be reached ahead of the peace conference scheduled for the U.S. later this year. Rice, who did not rule out the possibility of delaying the conference, has downplayed expectations over an imminent breakthrough ... To make the conference worthwhile, Palestinians want a specific framework agreement addressing the "core" issues of the conflict ... The Palestinians have said they will not attend the conference without a document that contains details on these matters ...
http://www.themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=19269

Abbas says time running out for Mideast parley
Wed Oct 17, 2007 7:54pm IST
By Arshad Mohammed and Ali Sawafta
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Wednesday time was running out for an agreement with Israel on key issues for a Middle East conference and that Palestinians would not attend at any price. Abbas made the comments after a second round of talks with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who earlier toured Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, lit a candle and voiced hope religion could be a force for reconciliation. "It's impossible to go to the conference at any price," Abbas told reporters. "We told Secretary Rice we don't have much time, that we must make use of every minute." ... Bethlehem residents looked on with seeming indifference as Rice's motorcade swept into the city with sirens blaring ...
http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-30036420071017

A little photo-op for the fundamentalist publicans ...

[DavidDvorkin]

1. So peace talks are mythological?

A hope based on a fantasy? That's not very encouraging!

[Blaze Diem]

2. Did She burst into eternally damning-like flames??

Condi's favorite subject in school was the history of military and war.

A sacriledge that she sets her murderous feet on the land of Jesus.

bitch.

[jimnasium]

5. I was thinking a lightning strike... n/t

[onehandle]

3. Jesus is a Liberal.

Condi is a Killer.

[Bob3]

4. yes indeed if only the Jews and Muslims would be christians

everything would be warm and cozy and peaceful - like it is in Northern Ireland.

I mean come on - this is all gibbersih for domestic consumption.

[heliarc]

6. Too bad no one there believes in Jesus...

Is she trying to convert them?

[Supersedeas]

7. Residents in Bethlehem are deeply frustrated -- Rice there to tell her personal story (Me Boots)