Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced Wednesday that former NATO commander James Jones will serve as the new Bush administration liaison between Israel and the Palestinians. Cmdr. Jones will report directly to Rice. Jones's responsibilities will include determining whether Israel complies with commitments Olmert made at this week's Annapolis conference, and coordinating work between PA military and Israeli security forces.

Jones, a retired Marine Corps general, has served in Iraq, Bosnia, Turkey and Macedonia.