Rice emerges as key in Gaza-border pact

For the record, Dick Morris and I think alike. Both of us feel that the mullahs of Iran don't want to see the world's only self-proclaimed Islamic Republic blown to smithereens so much of their rhetoric is just gimmick with no real substance. But that's not what I want to talk about today.

I've just finished reading Dick Morris' new book "Condi VS Hillary" and in it, one of Morris' proclamations is that if Rice can settle a good piece of the Palestinian/Israel dispute, surely she will be seen as a possible Commander In Chief worth voting for against Hillary Clinton in 2008. There's more but you'll have to read my review when it's posted.

In the meantime, as it turns out the Seattle Times has an interesting article about how Rice just brokered a deal allegedly opening a major border crossing to the Gaza Strip and in theory, ending the territory's isolation. This is no small feat. First off, if you've been following the Palestinian/Israeli dispute you'll know that not much gets done between these two factions. Certainly when HTIC (head terrorist in charge) Yasser Arafat was alive and running things, peace was nearly impossible to achieve no matter how many times Clinton or anyone else for that matter tried. Even Prince Bandar of Saudi Arabia thought Arafat was rediculous for calling for a second intafada and instigating the Israeli's into more bloodshed.

Since he's died and Mahmoud Abbas has taken over there's been an ebb and flow toward at least a cease fire if not an actual attempt at real co-existence. This latest successful effort by Rice is yet another chapter in the volatile relations between the Israeli's and the Palestinians and obviously more work must be done. But the point of the article is to give Madame Secretary an "atta girl!" for the job well done in bringing this agreement to the fore.

Just as this is a small piece in a larger puzzle of Middle Eastern politics, for Rice, this is just part of what will eventually be the pitch for voter for her against Hillary Clinton in 2008. The pundits will be saying, "Rice was able to accomplish more in the name of Middle Eastern peace than either Clinton have in their many collective years as public servants." It won't be a fair comment but all is fair in politics and war.

Here's the story:

Since Condoleezza Rice took over as America's top diplomat in January, she has tended to use her influence more behind the scenes than in front of the cameras.

The secretary of state has presided quietly over important shifts in U.S. foreign policy — such as deciding to work with European allies to try to end Iran's sensitive nuclear activities, and moving Washington, D.C., closer to its four negotiating partners in talks to coax North Korea to give up atomic weapons.

But over the past two days, she stepped into the limelight and put her credibility on the line to broker Tuesday's agreement between Israelis and Palestinians on opening a major border crossing to the Gaza Strip and ending the territory's isolation.

In Middle East politics, seemingly rock-solid deals often unravel before the ink is dry. But if Tuesday's accord holds, it will be as much a victory for Rice as for the Palestinians and Israelis.

After a day of talks Monday, including meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Rice upped the ante early in the evening by declaring her intent to forgo the first day of a gathering of Pacific Rim leaders and foreign ministers in South Korea scheduled to start Tuesday. Instead, she told her staff members, she would stay in the Mideast until there was a deal.

The decision, made Monday afternoon less than an hour before her scheduled departure for Asia, was a calculated gamble for Rice. But it added pressure on the Israelis and the Palestinians, and in the end, proved crucial.