Rice to meet Libyan foreign minister ahead of planned Tripoli visit

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice sees Libya's top diplomat here this week as preparations continue on her plans for a historic visit to Libya this year, a senior US official said Tuesday. Rice is to meet Libyan Foreign Minister Abdel-Rahman Shalqam on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly session on Wednesday afternoon amid a sea change in US relations with the North African nation that was once considered a pariah, the official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting has not yet been announced.