MIDDLE EAST: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice named a US general yesterday to act as security co-ordinator for a budding new peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.
Ms Rice said Lieut-Gen William Ward had been appointed to the sensitive post.
Gen Ward was previously commander of the NATO Stabilisation Force in post-war Bosnia and had previous assignments to Egypt, Somalia, Germany and South Korea.
Ms Rice, at a news conference after a day of talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, said Gen Ward would visit the region in the next few weeks "to make an initial assessment".
"Gen Ward will assist the Palestinian Authority to consolidate and expand their recent efforts on security, and encourage resumption of Israeli-Palestinian security co-ordination...," she said.
"Gen Ward will also work with Egypt, Jordan and others to co-ordinate assistance to the Palestinian Authority as it rebuilds its security capacity to end violence and terror and restore law and order."