A U.S.-backed summit meant to promote political freedom and economic change in the Middle East ended Saturday without agreement, a blow to President Bush's goals for the troubled region.
American officials seemed startled that an ally, Egypt, threw up a roadblock.
Egypt receives nearly $2 billion annually in U.S. aid, second only to Israel.
The disappointing outcome at the conference followed a rocky summit a week ago in Argentina, when Bush got a cold shoulder from some Latin American leaders, failed to win consensus on a free trading bloc for the Western Hemisphere and endured biting criticism from anti-U.S. protesters and Venezuela's leftist president, Hugo Chavez.
Many Middle East nations are wary of Bush's second-term democracy agenda for the region. Some organizations that the administration has tried to engage are reluctant to take money from the U.S.
The conference also started a $50 million foundation aimed at promoting democracy and political change in the Middle East.
Both initiatives were shepherded by U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Liz Cheney, the vice president's daughter. She accompanied Rice on a Mideast trip to Bahrain, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel and the West Bank.
It looks like "all in the family."
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