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Gates Visits Israel After Egypt Stop

   VOA News  March 24, 2011
   US Defense Secretary Robert Gates (L) meets with Field Marshal Hussein
   Tantawi,  the  head  of  the Egyptian Armed Forces Supreme Council, in
   Cairo, March 24, 2011

Photo: Reuters

   US Defense Secretary Robert Gates (L) meets with Field Marshal Hussein
   Tantawi,  the  head  of  the Egyptian Armed Forces Supreme Council, in
   Cairo, March 24, 2011

   U.S.  Defense  Secretary Robert Gates is in Israel Thursday to discuss
   regional    issues,    but   also   trying   to   push   the   stalled
   Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
   His  visit  follows  a bomb attack in Jerusalem that killed one person
   and  wounded  dozens  of  others  near the city's central bus station.
   Gates said the bombing was "a horrific terrorist attack."
   The  U.S.  defense  chief  is due to meet later Thursday with Israel's
   Defense Minister Ehud Barak and President Shimon Peres.
   On  Friday,  Gates  will  talk  with  Israeli  Prime Minister Benjamin
   Netanyahu, just returning from a trip to Russia, and Palestinian Prime
   Minister Salam Fayyad.
   Gates is then scheduled to travel to Jordan.
   Before  leaving  Cairo  Thursday,  Gates pledged to Egyptian officials
   that U.S. aid will continue flowing, as it has since the mass protests
   that  forced  President Hosni Mubarak to step down last month. In all,
   the  U.S.  provides  roughly  $1.5 billion in assistance to Egypt each
   year.
   Gates  also  talked  about  Libya  with  Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein
   Tantawi,   the   chief  of  Egypt's  ruling  military  council.  Their
   discussions included the no-fly zone over Libya enforced by the United
   States and other Western nations and supported by Arab League members.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
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References

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