US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta arrived in Cairo on Tuesday for a short visit during which he will meet President Mohammed Morsi and Defence Minister Hussein Tantawi. While in Egypt, Panetta will "affirm the support of the United States to continued reforms," according to earlier statements from Washington. Panetta's visit comes around two weeks after Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton expressed US support to Egypt's democratic transition and economic development, during meetings in Cairo. This is the second leg of Panetta's Middle East tour after Tunisia. He will also visit Israel and Jordan, according to a report of DPA.