Rice in diplomatic race against time

Rice in diplomatic race against time July 26, 2008 - 1:45pm By MATTHEW LEE Associated Press Writer AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) - In a global kick to the tape, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is grasping for diplomatic victories before the Bush administration's exit from the world stage in January. Too little, too late, say critics, as Rice and President Bush seek to cement a legacy beyond the unpopular Iraq war, which strained relations with Europe and the Arab world and made Americans a greater target of terrorists. With less than six months to go in office and unfinished business with Iran, North Korea, the Middle East, Iraq and Afghanistan, Rice has embarked on a series of trips and is packing in an impressive number of high-level meetings in Washington. In June and July, Rice circled the planet twice for talks on those... [read full story]