WASHINGTON Ñ Egypt has assured the United States that it does not plan to use a major military exercise near the Suez Canal for an incursion into the Sinai Peninsula.

The exercise is meant to train the military to repel any attack from Israel.

Egypt sought to reassure the U.S. by sending a message with a delegation headed by his adviser, Osama El Baz, when they came for three days of talks with senior Bush administration officials.

But Egyptian officials said President Hosni Mubarak has given the military the green light to search for required weapons and technology in preparation for any war in the Middle East, particularly with Cairo's eastern neighbor, Israel.

The effort is being headed by Egyptian Defense Minister Hussein Tantawi. Tantawi said the military's priority is to be prepared for any attack. "The armed forces are the real guarantors of Egypt's security against any foreign threat," Tantawi told a military ceremony on Thursday. "We must be prepared to respond to anybody who thinks of violating our borders or hurting our national interests."

The ceremony marked a transfer of command in the military. Maj. Gen. Nader Abd Taha Kora. was appointed head of the western command, replacing Maj. Gen. Desouki Banna.

El Baz said Egypt does not plan to use the September exercise by the Third Army near the Suez Canal for an incursion into Sinai to help the Palestinians. The adviser said the Palestinian Authority has never issued such a request.

"The Palestinian leadership or any other Palestinian parties did not ask us to send any force," El Baz said.

At the same time, Mubarak's adviser warned that the current Israeli-Palestinian war, now going on its 11th month, cannot continue. "The continuation of the present situation is untenable," El Baz said. "We cannot live with it. The U.S. cannot live with it. The two parties immediately concerned cannot live with this either."

Another member of the Egyptian delegation, Egypt's ambassador to the United States Nabil Fahmi, also denied reports that Cairo was threatening to send troops to the Sinai, most of which has been demilitarized since the 1979 peace treaty with Israel.

In Cairo, Mubarak stressed that Egypt remains committed to peace with Israel. He said the Egyptian delegation was sent to Washington to relay Cairo's concerns over the deteriorating situation in the Middle East. "We tell the truth in full," Mubarak said. "We have no interest in supporting this or that. I say Ñ and I repeat Ñ that Egypt supports peace."

Egypt and the United States have discussed a plan for a new initiative to end the Israel-Palestinian war and return to peace talks. El Baz said more details could be released on Monday.

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