ISRAEL WARY OF NEW U.S. SECURITY ENVOY

Israel Wary of New U.S. Security Envoy - Yaakov Katz (Jerusalem Post)
Israeli defense officials responded pessimistically Thursday to news that former NATO commander Gen. James Jones had been tapped by Secretary of State Rice as the new special envoy to coordinate security between Israel and the Palestinians.

Officials warned Thursday that Jones, who is known for having a cold attitude towards Israel, would put pressure on the IDF to prematurely compromise on security issues at a time that the Palestinian security forces are not yet prepared to crack down on terror - as they are expected to under the Roadmap.

"Even though he failed, [U.S. security coordinator Lt.-Gen. Keith] Dayton at least tried," an official said. "It is not clear that Jones will make such an effort so as not to ruin his chances of making a political career in the future."