US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has confirmed that the US military aid to Egypt will continue without any conditions, pointing out that this is the stance of the current U.S. administration. In response to a question on the difference between the new U.S. administration and the previous one that has linked the military cooperation with Egypt to democracy and human rights issues, Gates said the policy of all US previous administrations and the Obama administration have been trying to support democracy, human rights files and cooperation in various fields with friendly nations.
In remarks after a meeting with President Mubarak yesterday, Gates said the United States considers Egypt as one of its most important partners, pointing to the continued cooperation between the two countries in the military field and other activities. An example of such cooperation is the bilateral military maneuvers known as 'Bright Star'. He added that the U.S. armed forces benefited from such maneuvers and cooperation with the Egyptian armed forces, which he described as one of the region's most important and efficient armed forces.
The US Defense Secretary said the US looks forward to more cooperation in other fields, such as education, training and security.
Asked about the new U.S. approach towards Iran, Gates said the United States is seeking to halt Iran's nuclear weapons program and its attempts to destabilize the region's countries, adding that the Middle Eastern countries have concerns over the Iranian policies. Washington hopes to go ahead with its efforts with its friends in the region, as it sees that there is an opportunity to affect the policy of Iran to change its activities and behavior in the region. The new US approach of "outstretched hand" towards Iran does not contradict the US security friendship and strong ties with Egypt, Saudi Arabia and other "old friends" in the region.
Asked if the US would support an Israeli military strike against the Iranian nuclear installations in case the current policy of dialogue failed, Gates said there is no special dialogue between Washington and Tehran at present, but there are contacts between the two sides.
The meeting, attended by Egyptian Minister of Defense and Military Production Hussein Tantawi and the US Ambassador in Cairo Margaret Scobey, discussed the Israeli-Palestinian issue, the situation in Iraq, and the opportunities of expanding the scope of cooperation between the Middle Eastern countries, Gates said, pointing out that Washington draws upon the Egyptian expertise and takes advice to make progress on these issues.
