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Monday, December 10, 2001
President Hosni Mubarak revealed the reasons on which he decided to send Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher to Israel on Thursday. In statements to chief editors of the Egyptian newspapers and MENA chief who accompanied him aboard his plane from Damascus on Sunday, Mubarak said "Sharon did not offer any thing different from what he used to say. "In any case, I sent with Maher a letter pointing out that his (Sharon's) strikes and sieges against Palestinians will lead no where. And more killing of Palestinians and Israelis will never achieve a lasting peace." Mubarak said he stressed in the message the need for Israel to alleviate the siege and blockade as a prelude to remove them completely. It is time to deal with the situation according to the Mitchell committee recommendations and Tenet peace plan that would take all parties to the negotiating table, said Mubarak. "What is strange is Mr. Sharon's reply to Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher," Mubarak added. "He (Sharon) reiterated what he had said earlier that the Palestinians should stop the violence completely for seven days before taking any action." Mubarak added that when Maher suggested that if the Palestinians were committed to this for six days and in the last day an accident, not accounted for, took place, should we begin anew, Sharon said that this point could be discussed later. The President proceeded saying that "I have proved to the Israeli Prime Minister and his government that the solution lies in negotiations. I was keen to stress that we are working to get the two parties to the negotiating table and that Maher went to Israel to underscore this point," Mubarak added. Mubarak unveiled, during his meeting with editors-in-chief and MENA chief en route to Cairo coming from Damascus, that a number of leaders and politicians contacted him and told him that a rupture of contacts between Egypt and Israel would encourage Sharon and his government to change their current policy of blockade and killing. "Accordingly, I decided not to confine to phone contacts and dispatched the Foreign Minister to get the world see that Egypt spares no effort that might lead to a halt to violence and bloodshed," Mubarak said. "Frankly speaking, there are some mistakes on the part of Palestinians and I talked to Arafat about that without compromising his right." "But let us also be frank and say that asking Arafat to stop all violent acts would be impossible as the situation in the occupied territories is hard to control in light of the policy of scooping up lands, demolishing houses, assassinating leaders, blood-letting in addition to the strangling atmosphere of blockade slapped on all the Palestinian people," Mubarak said. How could Arafat be asked to control the situation and stop violent operations while his security and policemen are being chased and killed, Mubarak wondered. How could Arafat be in control and contain violence and other events without resources in hand, whether human or material, the President further wondered. Positive Steps Asked whether US President George Bush promised steps to stop the Israeli violence and killing, Mubarak said "President Bush called me and was really happy for the Egyptian initiative (sending Maher to Israel). I talked to him on the necessity for the US and he personally to do more to defuse this dangerous situation, Bush's answer was that he will talk directly with Sharon," said Mubarak. He wondered since when the Israelis listen to what the US says or implement what it decides. Mubarak asked what is meant by the circulated demand on Palestinian President Yasser Arafat to exert one hundred percent efforts. The Palestinian Authority is doing all what it can in very difficult circumstances. We on our side are working to create as much room as possible for an understanding on which all parties could build agreements that would finally be conducive to negotiations especially that the US envoy is still in the region," argued the President. Elaborating on the content of his message to Sharon and the Israeli government, Mubarak relayed a short, regrettable but very expressive story. President Arafat asked to travel to Doha to attend the OIC Foreign Ministers' meeting, due on Monday, but the answer came from Sharon that he can go but will not be allowed back to the Palestinian areas. This is a boyish talk and nonsense that does not lead to any solution, commented Mubarak. My message to Sharon also dwelt on reports of the Israeli government's intention to kill Yasser Arafat," said Mubarak. "In my message I said, to those who do not know and do not calculate the situation well, that killing Arafat would trigger a catastrophe," Mubarak warned. Everybody should know that killing Arafat does not mean an end but rather the beginning of the emergence of one hundred Palestinian leaders who would all step up violence to gain hearts of the Palestinian people especially that Palestinians are feeling being humiliated, said Mubarak. No one, whether Israelis or Palestinians, would gain anything from this situation, he added. Sharon told Maher that he does not intend to kill Arafat, said Mubarak. At the same time, Sharon proposed a host of measures that would defuse the intensity of the current situation including his readiness to accept a few number of American monitors. Sharon also said he does not have the intention of attacking Palestinian prisons with those inside, added Mubarak. Asked on the future of the cause and the situation in the region in view of this gloomy picture, President Mubarak said the continuation of this policy and these attitudes would lead only to more violence and killing. Unfortunately, the Americans do not want now to upset the Jewish lobby in the US and do not want to press Israel hard but "I would like to say also that during President Bush phone call with me, he said wait a little and you will see some indications of retreat in violence." Economy On the economic conditions in Egypt, Mubarak said "We are doing our best to overcome the passive impact on our economy whether being local, regional or international. The Egyptian economy has been facing three uphill circumstances, said the President. First: the current world economic recession, Second: repercussions of September 11 attacks. And Third: the aftershocks of the southeast Asian financial crisis in 1997, Mubarak said, adding that we are dealing with all these repercussions and impacts seriously. The American administration promised, during their meetings with (Foreign Minister) Ahmed Maher and Foreign Trade Minister Youssef Boutros Ghali, to assist Egypt in the economic field out of understanding that exterior factors, well known to every one, had affected the Egyptian economy. This promise is demonstrated in two manifestations, said Mubarak. First, increasing the share of cash assistance, and second, opening the American market for more Egyptian exports, Mubarak added. Missiles On whether the US missile supply for Egypt, strongly opposed by Israel and the Jewish lobby, would be concluded, Mubarak expressed conviction that this deal will be finalized. The big fuss triggered by this deal is false and ungrounded, said President Mubarak, adding that Israel has the same type of missiles. The US itself knows very well that the deal does not breach the military balance in the region, he added. Taking up the domestic situation and the economic crisis, Mubarak urged national collective efforts to address the crisis and overcome it. When I say that the American understand the economic crisis in Egypt and its outside impacts and when they pledged assistance this does not mean that we will touch immediate results, said the president, adding that such things require tireless and continued work. It is true that the American leadership backs the idea of supporting Egypt and it is true also that the American administration at its highest levels as well as the national security agency reaffirm that. "But we have to continue the efforts and work to put what we talk about and agree on into action,, said Mubarak. Around $ one billion might be pumped into the Egyptian F economy when the administrative and bureaucratic procedures are finalized, including $ 600 million in the pipeline and $ 400 million which represent the economic aid package which was not cashed in the last two years, said Mubarak. The government is now exerting strenuous efforts with the American apparatus to overcome hurdles and outline a timetable, he said. "In any case, as far as I understand from President Bush and a number of his administration officials, they understand our position very well," said Mubarak. "We must know that what moves the super powers are the interests and not the emotions or sentiments," asserted the President. Concluding his statements, Mubarak ruled out rumours on possible strikes against other countries after Afghanistan. "I think this is unlikely," remarked Mubarak. Important Visit Syrian Minister of Information Adnan Omran said President Mubarak's visit to Syria is a true reflection of the historic and strategic relations linking the two countries and comes in the framework of sustained consultations between Cairo and Damascus in their capacity as the locomotive of Arab national security. The Syrian Minister of Information said the Egyptian Syrian summit acquires a special significance as it is held at a critical situation for the Arab nation. Talks were attended on the Syrian side by Vice Presidents Abdul Hatim Khaddam and Zohai Masharkah, Prime Minister Moustafa Miro, along with the ministers of foreign affairs, economy, information, electricity and industry. |
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