Egypt disagrees on Hamas aid cut

CAIRO, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- Egypt has told visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice it does not agree that Arab nations should cut off financial aid to Hamas.

In Cairo, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit told Rice his country, which gives little aid to the Palestinians, thinks the help should continue to give Hamas time to develop its own ideas, The New York Times said.

"The Egyptians carry significant weight with the Palestinians and are watched by the rest of the Arab world," a senior administration official told the Times.

Rice also plans to visit Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to win commitments of firmness from the Arab leaders against Iran's nuclear program.

In his comments, Gheit said Egypt believes Hamas should accept the conditions of recognizing Israel, ending terrorist attacks and honoring previous diplomatic agreements between Israel and the Palestinians, but that Hamas needs time to evolve.

Separately, the BBC reported Rice faced tough questions at her news conference with Gheit. One journalist called U.S. involvement in Iraq "democracy of torture." She was also asked why the United States is concentrating on Iran's nuclear program instead of Israel's nuclear weapons.