US out to allay Iran concerns on Mideast tripUS Defence Secretary Robert Gates holds talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Noun 1. Hosni Mubarak - Egyptian statesman who became president in 1981 after Sadat was assassinated (born in 1929)Mubarak on Tuesday as he tries to reassure Arab leaders over Washington's diplomatic approach to Iran. Gates told reporters before arriving in Cairo on Monday that he hoped to address anxiety in Arab capitals about the effect of a US bid for dialogue with Iran after three decades of severed ties. "There's probably some concerns in the region that may draw an exaggerated sense of what's possible," he told reporters on his plane. US President Barack Obama has sought to open up diplomatic channels with arch-foe Iran in a bid to defuse tensions over its nuclear programme, but Gates said the White House had realistic expectations about what could be achieved. "I think everybody in the administration from the president on down is pretty realistic and will be pretty tough minded if we still encounter a closed fist (from Iran)," he said. Gates was due to meet Mubarak after hold talks with his Egyptian counterpart Hussein Tantawi on Monday. The defence chief will then head to Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia (sä  `dē ərā`bēə, sou`–, sô–), officially Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, kingdom (2005 est. pop. , which has been especially concerned about Iran's role in the region.
With Sunni-led Arab countries concerned over Tehran's influence with the Shiite-dominated government in Iraq, Gates urged Arab states to make a greater effort to cultivate ties with Baghdad. "I think if the Arab world “Arab States” redirects here. For the political alliance, see Arab League. The Arab World (Arabic: العالم العربي; Transliteration: al-`alam al-`arabi) stretches from the Atlantic Ocean in the is concerned about Iranian influence in Baghdad then the way to deal with that is to have more Arab influence in Baghdad," he said. Gates also said he would discuss Cairo's attempts to stem smuggling smuggling, illegal transport across state or national boundaries of goods or persons liable to customs or to prohibition. Smuggling has been carried on in nearly all nations and has occasionally been adopted as an instrument of national policy, as by Great Britain through tunnels on its border with the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. Egypt, under pressure from Israel and the United States, has taken increasingly robust measures to crack down on the smuggling. The Palestinians have used hundreds of tunnels to ferry food and other supplies into Gaza, which has been under a crippling blockade since June 2007, when the Islamists pledged to the destruction of Israel violently assumed power in the territory. Israel says the tunnels are also used to smuggle smug·gle v. smug·gled, smug·gling, smug·gles v.tr. 1. To import or export without paying lawful customs charges or duties. 2. To bring in or take out illicitly or by stealth. rockets and other weapons into the densely populated enclave. During his visit to Riyadh, Gates said he expected to discuss the possible transfer of Yemeni detainees from the US-run "war on terror This article is about U.S. actions, and those of other states, after September 11, 2001. For other conflicts, see Terrorism. The War on Terror (also known as the War on Terrorism " prison at Guantanamo Bay. "The Saudis have perhaps the most successful repatriation Repatriation The process of converting a foreign currency into the currency of one's own country. Notes: If you are American, converting British Pounds back to U.S. dollars is an example of repatriation. , reeducation Reeducation may refer to:
US officials have been concerned Yemen is unable to provide sufficient security for the returning detainees. Nearly 100 of the remaining 240 inmates at Guantanamo are from Yemen. Obama has promised to close the controversial detention camp by early next year. 
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