Rice, Gates

The United States won no specific new promises of Arab help for Iraq after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates met with Arab leaders in Egypt on Tuesday in an 11th-hour effort to get their assistance in helping the struggling country's fledgling government survive sectarian strife and political infighting. At the same time, the U.S. officials want Saudi Arabia and its neighbors to use financial pressure on Iran as a way of discouraging its nuclear ambitions.U.S. President George W. Bush's top diplomatic and military managers have a tough assignment to convince skeptical, mostly Sunni-led Arab nations that they have more to lose if Iraq fails than they stand to gain by waiting until the U.S. leaves or Bush's term ends. For their part, Arab countries may be worried that escalating opposition in the U.S. to the war in Iraq may signal a declining commitment to security in the region. "We have also been calling for the noninterference of any foreign powers into Iraq," Aboul Gheit said. "That is something we would renew." Unity against Iran is not a hard sell. But Washington has had far less success in rallying Arab help for Iraq that goes much beyond words. The final package will be formally presented for Congressional approval in September. Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Monday that lawmakers wanted assurances that the weapons package "include only defensive systems," not weaponry that could be used by Arab states to attack Israel. In the past, Israel has successfully lobbied the U.S. against selling AIM-9X missiles, used on jet fighters for aerial combat, to countries like Egypt out of fear that they could shift the military balance. A Congressional aide familiar with details of the Bush administration plans said AIM-9X missiles were part of the package planned for Egypt, media reported.(06,18)