British minister: Promoting democracy best way to fight terrorism
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke optimistically Wednesday about prospects for treaties that would ease US arms export controls to Britain and Australia.
The two also said in a joint news conference that they were in agreement about policy on Iran. They said they would discuss a package of incentives that they and other world powers recently offered Iran in an attempt to lure Tehran back into negotiations over its disputed nuclear power program.
The US Senate was considering treaties Wednesday that would loosen export controls for Britain and Australia if they met certain requirements for preventing transfers to other countries of sensitive US arms technology they receive.
Miliband said lawmakers on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which held a hearing Wednesday, seemed to agree with the Bush administration about the benefits of the two defense cooperation treaties. Proponents say the treaties would boost trade between allies.