New US military aid for Middle East allies
Tuesday, 31 Jul 2007 06:55
Rice is meeting Arab ministers in Egypt today
The United States has announced new military aid deals for its Middle East allies, in a move condemned by Iran as an attempt to destabilise the region.
Announcing the arms agreements yesterday ahead of a visit to the Middle East which begins today, US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice said the support for Israel, Egypt and various Gulf nations represented America's renewed commitment to the security of its "key strategic partners".
"This effort will help bolster forces of moderation and support a broader strategy to counter the negative influences of al-Qaida, Hizballah, Syria, and Iran," she explained in a statement.
Ms Rice is due to meet with Arab ministers today at the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, as part of a joint trip to the Middle East with US defence secretary Robert Gates.
During their visit the pair will also visit Saudi Arabia and Ms Rice will later meet with Israeli and Palestinian officials to discuss the current political situation in the region.
Yesterday she revealed that talks in Egypt and Saudi Arabia would focus on "ways to advance security and stability in Iraq".
Reports suggest that during the discussions Ms Rice will seek to urge Saudi Arabian officials and other allies to do more to support the Iraqi government, as sectarian violence continues to blight the country.
The US secretary of state also stressed that the proposed new package of military support for Saudi Arabia and other Middle East nations would "help support their ability to secure peace and stability in the Gulf region".
As part of the proposals, US military aid to Israel is due to be boosted as part of a new $30 billion (£15 billion) military assistance agreement over a ten-year period.
America is also beginning discussions with the Egyptian government over a similar $13 billion (£6.4 billion) military aid agreement designed to "strengthen Egypt's ability to address shared strategic goals".
But Iran, which has been criticised by Washington over its nuclear programme, has rejected US claims that the new military aid will boost security in the Middle East.
Commenting on the plans, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said the US had "always had a special policy of spreading fear in the region and tarnishing existing good relations" between countries there.