The U.S. secretary of state will visit the Middle East next month, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Wednesday, adding he would discuss with her the idea of a “back channel” for negotiations with Israel. Condoleezza Rice last visited the region in late November and held talks with Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The U.S. administration has since welcomed Abbas’s calls for early Palestinian polls and Rice said it also planned to ask Congress for funds to support his security forces. Full Story