WASHINGTON Ñ The Bush administration has rejected an effort in Congress to reduce U.S. military aid to Egypt.

Congressional sources said leading House and Senate members have been concerned over Egypt's missile cooperation with North Korea as well as what they term has been Cairo's hesitancy in supporting the U.S.-led war on terrorism. Last week, the CIA dismissed Egyptian assertions that Cairo has ended its missile relationship with North Korea.

In contrast, the U.S. Defense Department announced on Tuesday a new military sale to Egypt. The sale was of components for artillery rockets for the Egyptian army.

Officials said President George Bush and senior members of the administration sent several messages over the last week to Cairo that stressed their opposition to efforts to review the $1.3 billion in U.S. military aid to Egypt. A House draft bill would reassess aid to Egypt and convert military to economic assistance.

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said President Bush phoned Mubarak on early Tuesday. Fleischer said Bush expressed appreciation for Mubarak's efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East and "reaffirmed the value of the U.S.-Egyptian relationship to regional security and stability."

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has joined the effort to reassure Egypt. Powell told the Senate Budget Committee on Tuesday that the administration rejects any review of U.S. aid to Egypt. The secretary said Egypt has been "enormously supportive" of the U.S. peace efforts and has been applying pressure to Arafat to bring the violence under control.

Powell was responding to a recommendation from Sen. Robert Byrd that the United States link its nearly $5 billion in combined annual aid to Israel and Egypt to progress in Middle East peace efforts.

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