SHARM EL-SHEIKH, EGYPT -  Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, on an unusual joint Middle East mission, have opened security talks with American Arab allies in the Egyptian Red Sea resort, Sharm el-Sheikh. The senior Bush administration officials are seeking Arab help in stabilizing Iraq.

Rice and Gates are offering reassurances, backed up by increased U.S. military aid, to Arab allies worried about the future of the American commitment to the region, amid growing opposition in the United States to the Iraq War.

But they are also asking, in return, for more Arab political and economic support for the besieged Iraqi government or, at the very least, an end to aid going to Iraq’s Sunni insurgents.

The mission by Rice and Gates was preceded by weekend remarks by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad that Saudi Arabia and other Arab states are not doing all they can to help the United States in Iraq - refusing to engage the Baghdad government or send diplomats there.

In a talk with reporters enroute to the Middle East, Rice stopped short of repeating Khalilzad’s charge of “destabilizing” activities by some U.S. allies. But she did make clear they can be more helpful.

“As security permits, we hope that more states will undertake diplomatic missions to Iraq,” she said. “Debt forgiveness, where I think we got a very positive statement from Saudi Arabia, (Foreign Minister) Prince Saud made a very positive statement. There are a lot of details to be worked out, but I think we have had a commitment there from Saudi Arabia to use their influence — all of the states of the region — to use their influence to influence various communities in Iraq to participate fully in the democratic unity government.”

Rice and Gates began the mission here by talking with officials of Egypt, Jordan and member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Later Tuesday, they fly to Jeddah to meet Saudi leaders, including King Abdullah.

Rice says the big increase in American military aid and weapons sales to the Gulf allies and Israel - announced before her departure for the region Monday - is part of a positive American agenda for the region and not aimed against anyone.

At the same time, she brushed aside Iranian criticism that the aid plans are destabilizing and said, if there is instability in the region, it can be laid to Iran and its support for extremists and terrorism.

“Iran constitutes the single-most-important single-country strategic challenge to the United States, and to the kind of Middle East that we want to see,” she said. “Whether you talk about support for terrorism that is a threat to the democratic forces in Lebanon, support for the most radical forces in the Palestinian territories, and of course the kinds of issues (U.S. Ambassador to Iraq) Ryan Crocker raised with his (Iranian) counterpart - support for Shiia militias and for the transfer of technologies that are endangering the lives of our soldiers, and endangering a free Iraq.”

Here and in Jeddah, Rice and Gates will discuss details of a new arms sales package to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states that could exceed $20 billion.

The program, announced Monday, will assure Israel of $30 billion in American military aid over the next decade. Egypt would get $13 billion in arms aid over 10 years and a still-to-be-determined amount of security-related economic assistance.

Source:  VOA News