CAIRO - US Defence Secretary Robert Gates, on his first visit to Egypt since President Hosni Mubarak stepped down, discussed Libya with Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, who heads the ruling military council. Gates assured Egypt's military ruler of sustained American aid, as Cairo warned that tourism revenues are nosediving in the wake of the uprising that toppled Mubarak. Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said Tantawi did not raise concerns about coalition operations in Libya, but did voice worries about violence by forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. On aid for Egypt, Morrell said: "The secretary noted of course that there are serious economic pressures in our own country. But (he said) the manner in which the Field Marshal and his military have handled this period in Egyptian history has put them in good stead back at home in America, particularly in the United States Congress." Gates stressed that Libya is not Iraq, referring to many differences between what happened in Iraq and what is happening now in the oil-rich Libya. "The first [difference] is that the action by the UN Security Council originated with a resolution from the Arab League and from the Gulf Co-operation Council,” he told a group of journalists at a Cairo meeting. “And so it came from the region itself, asking that the United Nations take action to prevent Gaddafi from killing his own people. Also, you have the United Nations' Security Council resolution that authorises this," said Gates, adding that the US is not going to lead on this operation in the long term. Gates described the coalition mission as a humanitarian one to prevent Gaddafi from killing his own people. "We have taken on primary, but not exclusive, responsibility, for suppressing air defences and we look forward to turning over primary responsibility for sustaining the no-fly zone to our coalition partners," added Gates, stressing that it's difficult to establish a time frame for the operation, "but it will not end in one week or two". Gates described his visit to Egypt as an opportunity to reaffirm America's unwavering commitment “to our bilateral relationship and to the Egyptian people”. "Furthermore, my visit provides the opportunity to advance our defence partnership and to provide continuing economic and political support as Egypt goes through its period of transition," he said, adding that America's historic relationship with Egypt remains a cornerstone of US foreign policy in the Middle East and North Africa. During the meeting, Gates said he believed that it was important to give those new elements of civil society that had become active in Egyptian politics ��" some of them, for the first time ��" time to develop political parties, organisation and structure, so that they can play the same kind of leading role in Egypt in the future that they have played in bringing about this change in the first place. In his comment on the pro-reform movements sweeping the Arab world, Gates said that it was important to differentiate between the general and the particular. "I think each country has its own particular reasons that gave rise to the demonstrations and manifestations of popular discontent. “But on the whole, in general terms I would say, it derives from a number of things, such as political rights long denied, economic grievances, demographics, a large number of young people who are educated, but can't find jobs and fulfilment and, therefore, expressing their frustrations. "But I think what makes the situation really so extraordinary is the speed with which this has spread across the entire region, regardless of the diversity of the governments that are involved. It's hard to remember this entire phenomenon is less than three months old," he continued. Gates said that the purpose of his recent visit to Bahrain, a US ally, was to encourage the government there to reach out to the opposition, begin negotiations and a process that will resolve some of the issues.
