Egypt offers Iraq defense help

Egypt is offering to help rebuild Iraq's armed forces to end instability in the beleaguered nation. Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit made the offer to the visiting Iraqi defense minister at a meeting on Sunday.

Egypt is offering to help rebuild Iraq's armed forces to end instability in the beleaguered nation. Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit made the offer to the visiting Iraqi defense minister at a meeting on Sunday.

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According to ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki, Defense Minister Abdul-Qader al-Obeidi reviewed with the Egyptians the security situation in Iraq and the challenges of its armed forces. Al-Obeidi is also scheduled to meet with his Egyptian counterpart Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi during a three-day visit to Egypt that started on Saturday.

Iraq is trying to strengthen its fledgling armed forces ahead of a total US troop withdrawal scheduled for the end of 2011.