U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice thanked British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the United States' closest ally in Iraq, as she held her first meeting Friday with a foreign leader since taking over from Colin Powell as America's top diplomat. Rice and Blair said their 90-minute breakfast meeting at Blair's Downing Street office would cover Iraq, the Middle East and other subjects. Rice thanked Blair for Britain's support in Iraq "as we work to support the Iraqi people in their quest and most especially ... as we try to bring to the Israelis and the Palestinians a chance for a lasting peace." She was meeting later Friday with Foreign Secretary Jack Straw. A one-day conference will be held in London in March to help the Palestinian government build democratic institutions.
