Egypt and the United States have concluded a round of
military cooperation talks that were said to have focused on Cairo's
participation in any Washington-led war against Iraq.
Egyptian Defense Minister Hussein Tantawi completed a series of talks
with senior U.S. officials on such issues as logistical help to any U.S. war
against Iraq and Washington's military help to Cairo. On Tuesday, Tantawi
met his U.S. counterpart, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
Egyptian officials said the meeting focused on military cooperation
between Egypt and the United States, Middle East Newsline reported. They said the subject also dominated
Tantawi's meetings with U.S. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and
congressional leaders.
Cairo receives nearly $2 billion in economic and military aid from the
United States. Over the last week, the Bush administration approved $315
million in Egyptian weapons requests, including Hellfire anti-tank missiles
and military helicopters.
Congressional sources said Tantawi asked the United States for
additional weapons required to ensure security in the
Mediterranean and Red Sea areas. They would not elaborate.
The sources would not say whether Tantawi was questioned by his U.S.
hosts on Egyptian missile cooperation with North Korea. Last month, the
State Department relayed to Asian allies details of Egypt's joint missile
program with North Korea.
U.S. officials said North Korea tested key parts of the
intermediate-range No-Dong missile in Egypt. They said most of the tests
failed and set back the intermediate-range missile program in Egypt.
North Korea sent leading missile engineers and technicians to Egypt in
2001 to conduct the experiments, the officials said. They said North Korea,
deemed as having the capability of producing missiles with a range of at
least 5,000 kilometers, was trying to demonstrate the feasibility of No-Dong
technology and components for Egypt's medium-range missile program.
