http://192.168.2.6/music/20061008/2006VOA1005.mp3

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is in Israel and the Palestinian territories today for meetings aimed at reviving the Middle East peace process. She is meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah, and then hangs on to Jerusalem for dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. On Thursday she is to meet with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Rice also discussed the Israeli-Palestinian issue earlier today in Cairo with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. VOA’s Sonja Pace has more on the story from Jerusalem.
Secretary Rice has come to urge Arab allies to bolster support for regional peace efforts and for the beleaguered Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. That was clear in the open praise she had for the Palestinian leader after her talks in Cairo with Egyptian and other Arab officials. “I would hope that he knows how admired he is and how respected he is, in this group there is a great desire to help him, to help the Palestinian people.” Arab leaders have long said that the Israeli-Palestinian issue is at the core of a conflict in the Middle East, Secretary Rice heard much the same message during her talks in Riyadh and Cairo. The United States wants greater support from regional allies to bolster moderate Arab leaders like President Abbas and Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora. In turn Washington hopes that will help isolate groups like Hamas and the Lebanese-based Hezebollah which the US and Israel consider terrorist groups. Sonja Pace VOA news Jerusalem.
Iraqi Security officials say a bomb attack targeting Iraq’s Industry Minister has killed at least 14 people and wounded more than 70 in southern Baghdad. The Minister, Fawzi al-Hariri survived the bombings with three of his bodyguards were among those killed. Officials say a car bomb and two roadside bombs exploded as the minister’s convoy passed through Camp Sarah, a predominately Christian neighborhood. The blasts severely damaged several buildings and destroyed many cars. Meanwhile a US military spokesman in Iraq Major General William Caldwell says Iraqi authorities have demobilized an entire police brigade in Baghdad for alleged complicity with militias. “There’s clear evidence that there was some complicity in allowing death squad elements to move freely when, in fact, they were supposed to have been impeding their movement, that perhaps they do not respond as rapidly when reports were made.” The General says the police will undergo retraining.
European Union Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana says Iran has made no commitment to suspend Uranium enrichment as demanded by the United Nations Security Council, speaking in Brussels today Solana said his dialogue with Iran on its nuclear program cannot last forever, he said it’s up to Iran to decide whether the time for dialogue has come to an end.
Many nations are urging North Korea not to conduct nuclear weapons test, North Korea’s announcement that it will test its nuclear arsenal at a non-specified date has sparked a flurry of diplomatic efforts today. China, Japan and South Korea plan meetings next week to discuss the North nuclear ambitions, South Korea is warning it will hold the North accountable if it carries out a test, and China has taken a softer approach appealing for calm and returned to multilateral talks aimed at disarming North Korea.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Georgia against using what he called provocation and blackmail in its dealings with Russia. BG has more from Moscow.
The crisis sparked by Georgia’s arrest of 4 Russians on espionage charges a week ago shows no sign of fading even though Georgia released the men on Monday, President Putin continued his tough statements about Russia’s southern neighbor, in comments at a Kremlin meeting shown on state television Mr. Putin spoke he has met with the leaders from the Parliament, the Duma to discuss the ongoing crisis with Georgia which he has called a bandit state. President told the Duma leaders he was grateful for their support aimed at defending the rights, dignity and lives of our fellow citizens abroad. This was a reference to new legislation that will broaden economical sanctions Russia has imposed that it included cutting all transport and postal links with Georgia. The Duma is likely to suspend banking links between the two countries leaving up to 1 million Georgians living in Russia unable to send money to relatives back home. GB for VOA news Moscow.
Brief look at markets on wall streets US stock indexes are higher this hour.