Military aid seen as reward for peace

On March 31, 2009, the US ambassador in Cairo wrote that the annual $US1.3 billion in arms provided to Mr Mubarak's government had proved a success over the years, preserving peace between Egypt and Israel while ensuring access for US forces.

"President Mubarak and military leaders view our military assistance program as the cornerstone of our mil-mil relationship and consider the $US1.3bn in annual FMF (foreign military finance) as 'untouchable compensation' for making and maintaining peace with Israel," the document, cited by The Guardian, said. "The tangible benefits to our mil-mil relationship are clear: Egypt remains at peace with Israel, and the US military enjoys priority access to the Suez Canal and Egyptian airspace."

But the cable added that the military relationship could be more productive if Egyptian military leaders addressed "emerging threats" concerning border security, counter-terrorism and peacekeeping.

The cable added that under defence minister Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, the military's "tactical and operational readiness" had degraded. Human rights efforts were being "stymied" and Egypt was "sceptical" of US support for pro-democracy groups.

AFP