U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday tapped an Army general as a Middle East "security coordinator" to assist with Israel's planned withdrawal from Gaza and to help with training and equipping of the Palestinian forces. Rice, who completed her first trip to the region as America's chief diplomat, invited, on President Bush's behalf, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to visit Washington separately in the spring. After meeting with Mr. Sharon on Sunday and with Mr. Abbas yesterday, the secretary said that Lt. Gen. William Ward will monitor the security measures the two sides are expected to take and will step in with assistance only when it is necessary. "Gen. Ward will also work with Egypt, Jordan and others to coordinate assistance to the Palestinian Authority as it rebuilds its security capacity to end violence and terror and restore law and order," he said. A senior State Department official traveling with the secretary said Gen. Ward also would play a role in implementing Israel's withdrawal from Gaza and four West Bank settlements. Gen. Ward is deputy Commander officer of U.S. Army Europe and the 7th Army. Rice, to whom he will report, chose him because of his previous experience as commander of the NATO Stabilization Force in postwar Bosnia-Herzegovina and a recent assignment in Egypt, the senior official said. He also has served in Somalia, Germany and South Korea. The senior official said Gen. Ward's small staff would include mainly people from the State Department, but employees of the Pentagon and other agencies also are likely to participate.
