A senior Islamic Jihad leader said on Saturday that U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's visit to the Middle East that starts today, meant to rally support for attacking Iran or Hezbollah. "We think this visit comes as part of preparations for war targeting Iran or Hezbollah... and maybe to strike an Arab country, " Khaled al-Batsh of the Islamic Jihad told reporters in Gaza.
Rice began a four-day tour to the region where she will meet with Egyptian, Jordanian, Israeli and Palestinian leaders. "Rice's visit also comes to put pressure on the Arab leaders to change the Arab peace initiative, especially the right of return of the Palestinian refugees," al-Batsh said.
Palestinian and Arab officials expressed rejection to any change in the Arab peace initiative. |