Egypt's bid for strategic ties with U.S. worries Israel

CAIRO — Egypt and the United States have launched a defense dialogue to prepare for an upgraded strategic relationship under the Bush administration. For Israel, the prospect of its neighbor gaining priority in U.S. policy for the region is worrisome and develoments are being closely monitored.

Senior military officials from both countries have begun meeting in Cairo and Washington to prepare an agenda for high-level talks expected over the next few months. The first such meetings will begin in another month when Vice President Richard Cheney and Secretary of State Colin Powell will arrive for talks in Egypt.

Egyptian diplomatic sources said pro-Israeli forces in Washington tried to torpedo the Egyptian-U.S. dialogue for fear that Cairo would eclipse Israel in importance to the United States, Middle East Newsline reported.

Over the weekend, Egyptian Defense Minister Hussein Tantawi met General Tommy Franks, chief of the U.S. Central Command. Franks was accompanied by a delegation of senior officers as well as U.S. ambassador to Daniel Kurtzer.

Egyptian sources said the meetings focused on ways to bolster military and strategic issues. These include a schedule of Egyptian-U.S. joint military exercises.

Egyptian Army Chief of Staff Lt. General Magdi Hatata also joined the talks.

Over the weekend, Israel's ambassador to the United States, David Ivri, received a message from U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Edward Walker regarding the Bush administration's policy toward the Middle East. Diplomatic sources said Washington wants to improve relations with Egypt, Israel and the Gulf regardless of progress in the peace process.

The regime of President Hosni Mubarak is urging Washington to extend formal recognition of its role as the chief U.S. ally in the Middle East. This role would include Egyptian cooperation in defense of the Gulf.

The sources said such an effort could be completed in an agreement for a formal strategic dialogue forum during Powell's visit in late February. This would, in effect, renew a drive begun in 1998 under the Clinton administration when then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright held what was described as an unsuccessful strategic dialogue with her Egyptian counterpart, Amr Mussa.

The two were said to have disagreed on numerous issues, including the Arab-Israeli peace process, Libya and Sudan.

Last week, Mubarak was said to have reacted to warnings by right-wing Israeli politicians that the Jewish state was ready for any Middle East war.

"I say, let them know that we are capable of defending our land, and that Egypt boasts a well trained army," Mubarak was quoted as saying by the state-owned Ruz El Yusef weekly. "There will not be a repeat of the 1967 defeat. However, Egypt stands committed to the peace agreement signed with Israel, and we shall not use our armed forces except for defense purposes."