US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the biggest problem in the Middle east is a "freedom deficit." But she also said that despite a divide between moderates and extremists in the area, she thinks the Bush administration can begin to deliver on its promise of a Palestinian state living in peace alongside Israel.
At a Washington news conference with Germany's visiting foreign minister, Rice made it clear the administration will continue to focus on spreading democracy and steering clear of extremists while pursuing an Arab-Israel settlement. Rice added it was important to get it right in the troubled area, which she said has "suffered from the absence of legitimate channels for political expression."
