US officials in Egypt to seek Arab front against Iran

SHARM EL-SHEIKH (AFP) - US President George W. Bush's defence chief and top diplomat arrived in Egypt Tuesday, to start a brief tour aimed at uniting Arab allies against Iran and other US foes.

The rare joint trip by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defence Secretary Robert Gates is also aimed at encouraging their allies to help stabilise Iraq and bolster the US-backed Baghdad government.

"As security permits we hope more states would undertake more diplomatic missions to Iraq," Rice told journalists on her way to the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, appealing also for further Iraq debt forgiveness.

Arab diplomatic missions in Baghdad have scaled back their representation following a campaign of attacks and kidnappings.

The US officials' arrival was preceded by Washington's announcement on Monday of a multi-billion-dollar military aid bonanza for so-called moderate Arab states whose foreign ministers the US duo is due to meet.

"We will have a chance to talk about what initiatives we might undertake with our friends and allies in the security and political areas," Rice said. "We are very concerned to be able to provide for the security of our long-standing allies in the region."

The United States revealed new military pacts worth 20 billion dollars (14.6 billion euros) for Saudi Arabia, 13 billion dollars for Egypt and 30 billion for Israel in a bid to counter Iran.

"We are working with these states to fight back extremism and to give a chance to the forces of moderation and reform," Rice said, dismissing Iran's charges that the arms package would create fear and harm relations between countries in the Middle East.

"I think if there is a destabilisation of the region, that can be laid at the feet of an Iranian regime that is engaging in the kind of activities that I just outlined," she said.

Earlier, she accused Iran of fuelling terrorism in Lebanon; backing and providing technologies to Shiite militias in Iraq; aiding Hamas in the Palestinian territories; and harbouring ambitions of acquiring nuclear weapons.

Gates, travelling on a separate plane, said the fact that both he and Rice were headed to the Middle East was significant.

It showed "the importance we attach to reassuring our friends out here of our staying power," he told reporters travelling with him.

Rice and Gates are to meet top diplomats from Gulf allies who will also be given military aid reportedly worth at least 20 billion dollars, although the United States says the precise figure is still undecided.

Reports have cited arms deals with the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

Rice and Gates are to hold joint talks with GCC foreign ministers as well as Egypt and Jordan's top diplomats who last week visited Israel to push an Arab League peace plan.

US Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns said Monday that while there was no formal "quid pro quo" for the arms packages, Washington did expect allies to back its role in Iraq and the fragile Iraqi government.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said: "The United States has always had a special policy of spreading fear in the region and tarnishing existing good relations" between countries in the Middle East."

And GCC member Oman said Sunday that Iran did not pose a threat to the Gulf region.

"Iran is a neighbouring state and we have a common interest, which is to maintain stability and security in the region," said Yussef bin Alawi bin Abdullah, the Omani minister responsible for foreign affairs.

Bush says Iran is racing to develop nuclear weapons, something that Tehran denies, insisting its nuclear programme is peaceful.

Washington is also concerned its most powerful Sunni Arab ally, Saudi Arabia, is bankrolling Sunni militants, allowing them to stoke the insurgency in Iraq.

Asked about the alleged infiltration of militants from Saudi into Iraq, Rice said that "there is a lot we can all do to stabilise Iraq."

Gates and Rice will head to Saudi Arabia before making separate trips in the region.