Rice, accompanied by US Defence Secretary Robert Gates, met foreign ministers from Egypt, Jordan and the Gulf Cooperation Council states at the start of a regional tour aimed at countering Iran's growing influence, notably in Iraq.
“We discussed how to support a unified Iraq where all Iraqis can live in peace and security,” Rice told journalists after the meeting which included top diplomats from GCC states Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
With Saudi Arabia accused of allowing Sunni militants into Iraq to fight US forces and Iran accused of equipping Iraqi Shia militias doing the same, the parties in a joint statement called for “an end to all interference in Iraq.” It explicitly called for the prevention of “the transit of terrorists to Iraq” and an end to the “supply of arms and training to the militia and extra-governmental groups” in the war torn country.
And amid renewed impetus to find a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Rice and the Arab foreign ministers reiterated their commitment to a two-state solution, including an end to Israel's occupation of Arab lands captured in 1967.
Rice also said that a number of initiatives, including an Arab League peace plan, needed to be pulled together ahead of a Mideast peace conference called for by US President George W. Bush tentatively slated for September.
“We really don't want to have a meeting for the sake of having a meeting,” Rice said.
However, Rice and Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit sought to play down Monday's announcement of a multi-billion-dollar military aid bonanza for Washington's friends in the region, which Iran is accused of “destabilising.” “The US is looking to assure our allies that we are going to be reliable for meeting their security needs,” Rice said of the new military pacts worth $20 billion for Saudi Arabia, $13 billion for Egypt and $30 billion for Israel.
The arms package for other Gulf states is reportedly worth at least 20 billion dollars, although the United States says the precise figure is still undecided.
Rice told a joint press conference with Abul Gheit that the deals “fall in the long line of American efforts to help ensure security of friends and allies in the region.” Abul Gheit said he was “amazed” at the attention being paid to the arms gifts, “because military assistance to Egypt has been an earlier relation that lasted for the past 25 years.” Rice had earlier dismissed Iran's charges that the arms package would create fear and harm relations between countries in the Middle East.
“I think if there is a destabilisation of the region, that can be laid at the feet of an Iranian regime that is engaging in the kind of activities that I just outlined,” she said.
On her way to Egypt she accused Iran of fuelling terrorism in Lebanon, backing Shiite militias in Iraq, aiding Hamas in the Palestinian territories and harbouring ambitions of acquiring nuclear weapons.
But Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini accused the US of having always had “a special policy of spreading fear in the region and tarnishing existing good relations” between countries in the Middle East.” And the Islamic republic's Defence Minister, Brigadier General Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, accused the US of “trying to create a false arms race, in order to keep their weapon factories up and running.” But he also said it was up to individual Muslim states to decide which weapons to purchase, which in any case would simply bolster the Islamic world.
“Iran is absolutely not worried about any friendly and brotherly Muslim nation consolidating their defence abilities, and it sees increasing their defence abilities as a part of the Islamic world's defence capabilities.” Oman said on Sunday that Iran did not pose a threat to the Gulf region.
“Iran is a neighbouring state and we have a common interest, which is to maintain stability and security in the region,” said Yussef bin Alawi bin Abdullah, the Omani minister responsible for foreign affairs.
US Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said Monday that while there was no formal “quid pro quo” for the arms packages, Washington did expect allies to back its role in Iraq and the fragile Iraqi government.
Gates and Rice will head to Saudi Arabia before making separate trips in the region.—AFP