Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it
exclusively produces is in the public domain.
March 24, 2007

Rice Tries Again to Re-Start Mideast Peace Process
--------------------------------------------------

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=16C79E8:A6F02AD83191E16046966028E06890A19574F7DCC14957C0 US secretary of
state arrived in Egypt for first leg of Middle East tour





US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrives at the Old Cataract
Hotel in Aswan, Egypt, 24 Mar 2007

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has arrived in Egypt, on the
first leg of a Middle East tour aimed at putting new life into the
Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Rice has said that she hopes to rally more Arab support for peace
talks.

The U.S. secretary of state is in the southern Egyptian city of Aswan
for talks Saturday with the foreign ministers and intelligence chiefs
of the Arab Quartet - Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab
Emirates.

Rice is to meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Sunday.  She
is expected to speak with him about Egypt's upcoming constitutional
referendum, which critics say would give police more powers to arrest
and spy on suspects.

Also Sunday, Rice will meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
in Ramallah, and then travel to Jerusalem to meet with Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert.

Secretary Rice said Friday she hopes the Arab League's 2002 peace plan
will be offered again.  The plan would give Israel normalized ties
with Arab nations in exchange for Israel's withdrawal from land it
seized in the 1967 war.

President Bush said he is sending Secretary Rice back to the region
for the third time this year because securing peace is a U.S.
priority.

This is her first trip to the region since rival Palestinian groups
Hamas and Fatah formed a new unity government last week.

The Bush administration says it will not work with the Islamic
militant group Hamas, but will have contacts with other members of the
new Palestinian government.  Hamas refuses to recognize Israel and
renounce violence.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said his country is willing to make
"painful" concessions to advance the long-stalled peace process. 

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