WASHINGTON (AP) – The Bush administration said Monday that a new multibillion dollar military sales package for Arab nations will help secure Iraq and the Persion Gulf while promoting stability and American influence in a Middle East threatened by terrorism and rising Iranian ambitions.

Embarking on a four-day tour of the region with Secretary of Defense Gates, Secretary of State Rice said the proposed American package, estimated at up to $20 billion, “will help bolster forces of moderation and support a broader strategy to counter the negative influences of al-Qaida, Hezbollah, Syria, and Iran.”
“We are helping to strengthen the defensive capabilities of our partners and we plan to initiate discussions with Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states on a proposed package of military technologies that will help support their ability to secure peace and stability in the Gulf region,” she said in a statement.

The new sales to Arab countries, notably Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, were not enumerated but will be mainly defensive and be balanced with a more than 25-percent increase in military aid to Israel over the next 10 years, enabling the Jewish state to keep its qualitative military edge over neighbors with which it has no peace deal.

srael will receive a total of $30 billion in U.S. military assistance, up from about $24 billion, while Egypt, which along with Jordan has made peace with Israel, will get $13 billion as part of the broader package.