Rice Defends Middle East Arms Sales Plan

The US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, today said plans to sell billions of dollars of weapons to the Middle East would shore up friendly regimes against al-Qaida and Iran.

Ms Rice, who was visiting Egypt with the US defence secretary, Robert Gates, denied the arms sales were a move to ensure the support of states including Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

"This is not an issue of quid pro quo," she said. "We are working with these states to fight back extremism. We all have the same interest in a stable Iraq that can defend itself ... and be unified."

The package also includes a 25% increase in arms sales to Israel over the next 10 years, ensuring it maintains its military superiority in the region.

Washington said the unusual dual visit of Ms Rice and Mr Gates underlined the importance of the Middle East to the Bush administration.

It comes with the US renewing a push for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, seeking to stabilize Iraq and attempting to contain growing Iranian influence.

"For the secretary of state and the secretary of defence to travel together to any region ... is at a minimum very rare, if not unprecedented," Mr Gates said.

The two are due to meet the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan and the six members of the Gulf cooperation council in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

The Arab ministers flew in from an Arab League meeting in Cairo yesterday, at which they gave qualified support to Mr Bush's idea of a Middle East peace meeting later this year.

Just before Ms Rice and Mr Gates began their diplomatic mission, the Bush administration announced its plans for major arms sales to the region.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and UAE are to share $20bn (£10bn), while Egypt is to get $13bn over 10 years and Israel's share will increase to $30bn.

"This effort will help bolster forces of moderation and support a broader strategy to counter the negative influences of al-Qaida, Hizbullah, Syria and Iran," Ms Rice said.

Iran has criticised the promise of arms, accusing the US of trying to sow fear and mistrust in the Middle East and of aiming to destabilize the region.

However, Ms Rice said: "If there is a destabilization of the region it can be laid at the feet of an Iranian regime. This is a positive agenda in the Middle East."

The secretary of state and Mr Gates are also due to visit Saudi Arabia, which has been publicly criticized by Zalmay Khalilzad, the US ambassador to the UN, for trying to undermine the Iraqi government.

Bush administration officials have show increasing frustration with Saudi Arabia's attitude towards the Iraqi government, which is dominated by Shia Muslims linked with Iran.

Ms Rice sought to play down that criticism, praising the Saudis for offering debt relief to Baghdad and attempting to better secure the border with Iraq.

The arms deals need to be approved by Congress, where some members have said they plan to block the sale of advanced weaponry - including satellite-guided bombs, to Saudi Arabia.