CAIRO: No conditions regarding democratic reform or human rights will be attached to US military aid to Egypt, US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates told reporters in Cairo Tuesday. In fact Gates alluded to more military cooperation between the two countries, saying "We are always looking for ways to expand these [military] ties through education, training and exercises. Gates was responding to a question on the difference in approaches between the Bush administration and the Obama administration vis-a-vis Egypt, the previous one setting conditions to aid. "It is not a different approach, said Diaa Rashwan from Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, "the US administration has never called for attaching conditions regarding democratic reform and human rights on aid, this was the work of the US Congress. The US Congress froze $100 million in economic conditions, which was later rescinded by then Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Gates had been in Egypt, and later Saudi Arabia, to discuss "a number of security issues, including Iran, the Palestinian-Israeli issue and steps in Iraq, and the opportunities for more cooperation among nations of the Middle East. "Like Gates alluded to, the US has strategic interests in the region regarding countries like Iran and Iraq and that is what concerns them, Rashwan said. US Ambassador Margaret Scobey said that democracy in Egypt can only be furthered by its people and brave leadership, and that the US was "ready to help. Media secretariat of the National Democratic Party Ali Eldin Hilal said that current Egyptian ties with the US were "tense because of differences in opinion regarding regional issues. President Hosni Mubarak is expected to visit Washington in the coming weeks after a hiatus during the Bush administration when relations between Egypt and the US soured considerably. Semi-exiled democracy activist Saad Eddin Ibrahim who is currently in the US said in an interview with Al-Masry Al-Youm that he hoped to see a number of reforms undertaken by Mubarak prior to his visit, paramount amongst them the end of the emergency law. Ibrahim also called for the release of political prisoners and freedom for the Egyptian press or protests will be organized during his visit. He urged Mubarak's son, Gamal, to "stay away from power and as for Mubarak himself, Ibrahim said "I wish him a long life, but away from power urging him to consider retirement from the political arena.
