CAIRO Ñ Egypt and the United States plan to hold a defense summit to
discuss Washington's plans to attack Iraq.
Egyptian officials said the summit would be held between Defense
Minister Hussein Tantawi and his U.S. counterpart, Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld. They said the meeting would be held next week in Washington and
focus on Egyptian-U.S. military cooperation.
Tantawi will also meet Vice President Richard Cheney and National
Security Council adviser Condoleezza Rice. Officials said Tantawi will spend
four days in Washington and discuss U.S. requests for Egyptian help in the
war against the regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has repeatedly expressed opposition to
any war against Iraq, Middle East Newsline reported. But Cairo is expected to provide significant
logistical help to the U.S. military effort in the Persian Gulf, including
the use of Egypt's Suez Canal for U.S. shipping.
The Egyptian defense minister will be accompanied by a military
delegation and present new ideas regarding strategic cooperation with
Washington. Officials said this will include a request for new weapons
procurement from the United States.
Tantawi and his delegation were briefed by Egyptian President Hosni
Mubarak before his departure last Tuesday. No details were reported.
Egypt's ambassador to Washington, Nabil Fahmi said the United States
requested Tantawi's visit as part of strategic cooperation between Cairo and
Washington. He said Washington has not asked Egypt for use of its territory
for any attack against the regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
"Our clear and declared stance according to President Hosni Mubarak and
Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher is the opposition of a military strike and the
necessity to deal with the situation through the United Nations," Fahmi
said.
Fahmi told the Egyptian official Middle East News Agency that he was
confident that the Bush administration appreciated the value of Cairo as an
ally. Fahmi said Washington is intent on maintaining relations despite
differences over a range of issues in wake of the Al Qaida suicide attacks
on New York and Washington a year ago.
The issues that divide the two countries, Fahmi said, include the future
of Iraq and Sudan, the Israeli-Palestinian war and U.S. additional
assistance
to Egypt. The administration has rejected an Egyptian request for an
additional $130 million in security aid. Egypt receives nearly $2 billion in
economic and military help.
