CAIRO: US Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Wednesday held talks in Cairo on the conflict in Libya and to reaffirm US backing for democratic reforms in Egypt after a popular uprising ousted Hosni Mubarak.
His previously unannounced visit came as US and allied aircraft carry out bombing raids against the regime in neighboring Libya, where rebels are fighting to overthrow ruler Moammar Qaddafi.
The two days of talks also coincide with a pivotal moment in Egypt, after voters backed constitutional amendments in a referendum on Saturday, paving the way for parliamentary and presidential elections within six months.
Gates is "very encouraged" that "Egypt is trending in the right direction as it transforms itself into a democratic, civilian-led government," press secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters traveling with him.
Gates met Prime Minister Essam Sharaf for talks at which he was expected to offer an update on military operations in Libya and to hear Egypt’s views on the crisis. He is also due to meet his Egyptian counterpart, Hussein Tantawi.
Morrell said Gates was grateful for Tantawi’s "leadership and the performance of his military through a very tumultuous period" in recent weeks.
The Pentagon chief is also keen to renew longstanding US military ties to Egypt and to discuss political upheaval sweeping the Middle East, said a senior US defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
In his talks, Gates hoped to gauge "the current political mood" in Egypt in the aftermath of Mubarak’s downfall, but Washington wanted to avoid any heavy-handed advice with elections due later this year, the official said.
"We’re not in the business of telling them what to do. This is their process," the official told reporters.
Washington is anxious to shore up Arab support for the intervention in Libya and Gates is the second senior member of Barack Obama’s administration to visit post-Mubarak Egypt, following Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last week.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said Wednesday that Kuwait and Jordan will give "logistic contributions" to the international coalition action. There was no immediate confirmation of that from either country.
Qatar has so far been the only Arab state to actually commit military assets to the coalition led by the United States, Britain and France.
While few in the Arab world welcome any Western military intervention, the bombing campaign on Libya has not sparked the usual public protests in countries preoccupied with their own major political upheavals.
The Arab League, based in Cairo, this week got back behind the international military strikes against Libya after comments by its chief had initially indicated divisions over the campaign against Qaddafi.
Gates flew to Cairo from Moscow, where he clashed with Russian officials over the Western bombing raids.
Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev voiced dismay over what he called the "indiscriminate use of force" by coalition aircraft in Libya.
Gates rejected the criticism of the air strikes – which he predicted would be scaled back within days – and later told reporters that Moscow had accepted Qaddafi’s "lies" about civilian casualties.
Russia abstained from last week’s UN Security Council resolution that authorized armed intervention in Libya to protect civilians, but Moscow has taken a more critical stance in recent days and urged a ceasefire.
