|
Thursday, December 25, 1997
President Hosni Mubarak again ruled out any dialogue with the terrorists who were carrying out attacks against civilians in Egypt. Asked if there were any contacts between the Egyptian government and terrorists living abroad, the Egyptian leader told the London-based Lebanese weekly Al-Hawadeth magazine: "There is no truth in those reports. We are a state and we do not engage in a dialogue with killers. We hold dialogue with a state. The state prosecutes killers. The state in Egypt would not be involved in a dialogue with the killers who took arms against innocent people." "The issue of those saboteurs has nothing to do with Islam, which does not call for bloodletting and killing of innocent people," he told the magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Melhim Karam. The Egyptian leader said, moreover, that Britain should not harbour fugitive terrorists who work openly on its soil to plan attacks against their governments. "A number of the most prominent terrorists are based in London and they are allowed to move freely, work openly, collect money and plan terrorist actions," Mubarak was quoted as saying. "I don't know if this is allowed under the slogan of human rights. They are murderers and enjoy security in London," he added. The President also described the new security measures enforced by the government to protect tourist sites after last month's terrorist attack in Luxor as "colossal on many axes to achieve as much amount of security and reassurance as possible." There is no country in the world that can fill the gaps (in front of terrorists) 100 per cent," he said. The President renewed his call for international concerted efforts to fight terrorism. "'There are countries that fight terrorism and other countries that harbour terrorists. The latter will eventually pay a dear price because they cannot be away from the crimes committed by those terrorists and murderers." he said. He underscored security cooperation with the Arab countries to uproot terrorism. "Unless all Arab countries cooperate in fighting terrorism, they will fall prey to it without exception," he told the magazine. The interview also focused on a host of regional issues. On the civil war in Sudan, the Egyptian leader, who met earlier this month with Sudanese People's Liberation Army (SPLA) leader John Garang in Cairo for the first time, said that he had stressed the importance of maintaining Sudan's unity in his talks with Garang, "I had talks with him on a key issue, i.e. no for dividing Sudan. The division of Sudan means that the conflict will continue and only the people of Sudan will pay the price," he said. About the expected visit by Sudan's President Omar Al-Bashir to Cairo, Mubarak said the visit was only reported by the press. He added, however, that Egypt and the Sudan were holding contacts through diplomatic channels to clear the atmosphere. "My heart is always open for the Sudan's issues. I always like to have good and brotherly relations with the Arab countries and the rest of the world." he said. He told the magazine that he had no concrete evidences on claims that Israel was playing a role in the Sudan's civil war to divide Egypt's southern neighbour. Touching on Islamic issue, The President said he believed that the recent Islamic summit in Tehran was "successful to a great extent." "I hope that all the resolutions the summit issued be implemented," he said. The President said that although Egypt and Iran had no diplomatic ties since 1979, he wanted to turn over a new leaf with Tehran since he assumed office. But Iran refused because of Egypt's Camp David peace treaty with Israel, he continued. "So far some people are still reluctant to understand what Camp David is. It was a mere general framework of principles with two papers, the first on the Egyptian issue and the second on the Palestinian issue," he said, adding that had the Palestinians accepted to start negotiations on the Camp David principles, the situation in the region would have been completely different. The Camp David framework, he explained, imposed an Israeli troops withdrawal to certain points outside the West Bank and Gaza Strip. "The Israelis accepted this item. Today, there is a great argument on the redeployment of the Israeli troops on eight-ten per cent," he said. The President welcomed new efforts exerted by Iran's new President Mohamed Khatami to forge new ties with the world. "Sending Foreign Minister Amr Moussa to Tehran to take part in the Islamic conference was a clear signal," he said. During the interview, the President also explained the recent row between Egypt and Qatar. "Basically there was no dispute with Qatar. We only differed on the Palestinian issue. Our view was clear, It linked the participation in the Doha (Middle East and North Africa Economic) Conference with achieving progress on the stumbling peace process. We said that if such progress had been made, we were ready to go to Doha," he said. "My principle is solving issues among Arabs. We do not Want to live in an atmosphere of complications." he said. Mubarak added that although Egypt and the United States enjoyed "very good relations", the Jewish lobby in the U.S was stirring media outcry on alleged problems facing Copts in Egypt. "Copts are not a minority in Egypt. They have the rights exactly as Muslims have. We respect the freedom of religion," he said. "The truth is that there is no problem at all. They say that building churches need special permission. This is true and it is an old rule applied for one reason... not to give a chance for extremists on the two (Muslim and Christian) sides to trigger problems." he said. Mubarak added that the government objects a request to build a church only when it might stir problem between Muslims and Christians. "Building mosque also need permission. I approved many requests to build churches more than what have been agreed upon over the past 50 years," he said. The Egyptian leader, moreover, refuted reports about health problems of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. "Arafat's health is very good and he faces no health problems. Those who spread rumours about deterioration of his health seek to create turmoil in the Palestinian ranks," he said. He cautioned that the peace process without Arafat "would not be easy at all." "All the Palestinian people trust and obey Arafat. After him the Palestinian ranks will be divided. It is not in the interest of the peace process to circulate rumours about deterioration of Arafat's health." he said. The President also regretted Baghdad’s decision to execute four Jordanian nationals for trading in car spare parts, a move which he said undermined Iraqi ties with Jordan. The current stalemate of the Middle East peace process also featured high on President Mubarak interview with the Lebanese magazine. He said that even the United States, Israel’s strategic ally, was not pleased by the Israeli govemment's procrastination. "It is clear that the American stance is not pleased with the current crisis of the ME peace process. I do not know what are the circumstances that delay playing a role or taking steps to convince the Israeli government to respect and honour the previously signed agreements," he said. In order to establish a regional peace Mubamk said: "Israel first has to solve its issue with the Palestinians. This will encourage the Syrians and the Lebanese. The solution of the Palestinian issue will remove the tension between the Arabs and the Israelis," he said. Mubarak also regretted the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state. "I do not know how Netanyahu is thinking. The establishment of a Palestinian state can never pose threat to Israel. The two countries cannot build a wall between them. Instead there will be cooperation even in fighting violence and terrorism." he said. He added that the current Israeli procrastination had complicated the Middle East question. Mubarak said that Israel recently blocked a Palestinian census in Jerusalem to deny Palestinians their claim in the holy city. The President told the Lebanese weekly he hoped that Netanyahu shows some flexibility "for the sake of the security of Israel and the entire region." "He should move in the peace track and give Palestinians their land and rights. This is better than taking any (security) measures or seeking any demands." he said, adding that the Israeli Premier had given him many promises none of which had been kept. "The state of Palestine will be established sooner or later, otherwise there will be no peace in the region. I'm afraid of the alternative because their will be acts of terror and violence everywhere." he said. Meanwhile, the Egyptian leader said that the Arab common market, an idea he has been advocating over the past year, did not contradict with the proposed Islamic common market launched by Tehran Islamic summit. "We can start with an Arab common market, not necessary among all Arab states, but among the Arab countries which have common (economic) conditions. If it was followed by an Islamic market, it would be coordinated with the Arab countries. But a think that establishing the Arab market is easier than the Islamic one" he said. "Unfortunately, we have yet to comprehend the dangers of not establishing an Arab economic bloc. On the long term the damages will be tremendous. Arab countries will turn into a large consumption market. We will not find jobs for our workers because the region will lose many factories," he warned. Mubarak, touching on other Arab issues, regretted the violence spreading in Algeria, which he said was "an alien phenomenon" from the Algerian society, he added that he believed the Algerian government was capable of dealing with this issue without intervention from any foreign agency or country. The President said that Egypt would go ahead with its economic reforms in spite of the blow rendered to the lucrative tourism industry by last month's terrorist attack in Luxor. |
|
||||||||
Print this page 
Mail this page 