U.S. Sec. of State Rice expected to postpone planned Mideast trip

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has postponed a trip to the Middle East next week. The U.S. official, who asked not to be identified because the decision had not been announced, said the stops in Jerusalem and Ramallah were expected to be added to a Mideast trip Rice now plans in early August. [reuters]

Schienbar vorerst ersatzlos gestrichen: "Bush also announced he's dispatching Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to the Middle East next month to use "the tools of diplomacy to strengthen regional and international support for Iraq's democratic government." [cnn]