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Wednesday, April 04, 2001
In an interview with the Boston Globe published Wednesday, President Hosni Mubarak stressed the need to halt violence between Palestinians and Israelis in order to resume the peacemaking. He further expressed hope that the new American Administration would be able in the near future to help achieve peace in the Middle East. He noted that Egypt cannot impose anything on the Palestinians but it seeks to achieve reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians. Following are excerpts of President Hosni Mubarak's interview with Boston Globe reporter John Donnelly at Blair House: Q. How was the meeting with President Bush? A. It was a very good meeting. We have a strategic relationship with the United States. We have no problems between the two countries to speak of, cementing the relationship more and more, speaking out to try to find something in the economic direction. We are speaking about a Free Trade Agreement, because I am making one with Europe, one with Arab countries, one with East Africa, so I asked them to put it on the agenda here. Because it will take years of discussion with the United States before it can be concluded. Q. You spoke after the meeting of wanting the United States to take "a maximum effort" in the peace process. What do you see as your role and the United States's role? A. The impression here -- and not everybody-- is that we can impose anything on the Palestinians, which is not true. How can you impose anything on the Palestinians? There is a leader, there is a people. If you impose something on the leader, he will reject it. We listen to him. We try to make reconciliation between him and the Israelis. We try to find out a way to put an end to the violence so the resumption of talks could start. The United States is the key player of the whole game. The United States has its own interests in the whole area. If there is no stability there you will be affected, we will be affected, Jordan will be affected, the whole area will be affected. You know with the tension there now, with the violence taking place, we lost about 25 percent of our economic revenues. Our main goal is to try to help the parties sit together and put an end to violence, resume talks until they reach a settlement to the problem. I don't mean that it will happen in one week, two weeks or one month. It will take some time. But the point is, they should resume negotiations and before that they must put an end to the violence. Q: What do you expect from the Bush Administration? A: Look, it is a new Administration. It's still preparing itself, and making appointments. I am not asking them to do something now. We are helping. We put them in the picture. We are trying to find out the ways and means to help the two parties. Give the United States four, five, six months to be in shape so it could help. I don't think they will be like the former administration and...gather the parties here. I don't think that. Q: What is your assessment on Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon? A: I think his concept to use force on these people (the Palestinians) is wrong. Force will never put an end to any problem. I keep telling him that. We should find a way -- and I was discussing this with the President (Bush) and the Secretary of State (Colin Powell) -- for the two parties to sit on a security level just to find out how can they put an end to the violence so the talks can resume. Q: Can Sharon be another Menachem Begin? A: Look, Begin is something and Sharon is something else. We signed a peace agreement with Begin, although he was also a hawk. But he was very reasonable. Whenever he gave you a word, he respected it. Now, I have no experience with Sharon. But I think I have hopes that when the violence stops, he could move forward. Q: During Prime Minister Sharon's visit, there were reports that he lobbied lawmakers to make all US aid to Egypt economic and not military. A: I asked Sharon. He said, "I didn't say it." I heard it and I gave him a tough statement. If Sharon said that, that means it's a hostile act against us. It's Sharon; I don't think the United States will listen to Sharon to do this or that. We have a good cooperation with the United States in all military fields. Q: What is Chairman Arafat's mood these days? A: To be realistic, and knowing the psychology of the people in this part of the world very well, better than you in America here, after the violence and the siege in all the towns, in all the villages - nobody can move from place to place, the people cants send their children to the hospitals, food is very rare, men are not working, there is no income - what do you expect these people to do? If Arafat tells them to stop violence...They will not listen to him. I'm not defending him. But I'm telling you what I feel. What I know...The violence is difficult just to switch off and switch on. It is not a machine. They are human beings. They want to live, they want to educate their children, and they want to earn their living. Q: What happened at the Arab Summit on the Iraqi situation? A: At the Arab Summit, we reached nowhere. Q: What do you see as a solution for Iraq? A: We have to help the people to find their food, to lead a normal life. Our main concern is the people of Iraq. There is still a siege. Let them go out and travel. Let them see the world. Let them feel the difficulty in which they are living in. I don't want to say anymore. Q: Before the Gulf War, you were in talks with Saddam Hussein about forming an alliance? A: Arab Organization Corporation (which would act as a political counterbalance to a Gulf state organization). Q: What do you see ahead for Saddam? A: Look, I knew Saddam since we started the Arab Organization Corporation. At first, I didn't want to be part of the group, but then I joined. It would be Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, and Yemen with Saudi Arabia in the middle like a sandwich. Even Saudi Arabia asked me what I was doing. I said, let me join them so I can see what they (Iraq) are doing. Q: Have you talked to him recently? A: No. Q: Is Saddam a threat to Egypt? A: This is a very delicate area. For sure, when it comes to nuclear facilities you never know against whom it can be used. He says he doesn't have any nuclear facilities now. America says, yes they have. We are against any mass destructive weapons in the area. We say this area should be clear -- including the Israelis -- to remove all mass destructive weapons. Very dangerous. Otherwise you will find Iran buying destructive weapons. Maybe other countries. I don't mean Egypt is going to buy any weapons of mass destruction. We don't have any intention of doing that. But this would be a threat to us. Q: What are the prospects for peace in the Sudan? A: We are working very hard on Sudan. We are against any division of Sudan. It is not acceptable to the whole area or us. We are working hard to bring the two parties together in may be a couple of months. Q: The US Commission of International Religious Freedom has criticized Egyptian government's treatment of Coptic Christians and Bahai'is, among other things. What is your comment? A: Copts are Egyptians, Muslims are Egyptians. Jews are Egyptians. We are all of one kind. They will not ever be able to force us to do anything. Copts are living a very good life. They said they are not elevated to high posts. The chief of the Air Force is a Copt. The chief of State court used to be a Copt. The Commander of the first Army on the Canal was Copt. He was later a governor. We have Ministers who are Copts, of Economy and of Environment. Al Kosheh issue (where riots by Muslims on Jan 1st 2000 killed 20 Copts) started between a (Muslim) woman and a shop -belonging to a Copt. They quarreled about the price. It led to fighting. We sent them to the court. The court gave very light punishment. We made an appeal before the higher court and it's better to keep quiet. We are leading a very normal life. I have a man who is looking after my private things, he is a Copt. That never happened before. He is looking after all my private things. Q: In the Egyptian press, there is some talk about some reconciliation with the Muslim Brotherhood? A: No. According to our constitution, it is not permitted to form parties on the basis of religions. Otherwise, we would have 10 or 15 Muslim parties, maybe another Jewish party. They would fight each other. Q: Have relations improved between your government and the Muslim Brotherhood? A: No, I don't know something called the Brotherhood (referring to illegal status of the group in Egypt). It is outlawed. If you want the Brotherhood to come here to the US and support them, I may send them to you. And you will suffer (laughs). |
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