In separate interviews last week with the Washington Post and Newsweek, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak outlined his country’s policies regarding the ongoing war against terrorism and the Middle East conflict, reiterating Egypt’s support for the anti-terror campaign.
Following are the main points compiled from the two interviews:
WE SUPPORT THE US, BUT BATTLEFIELD SHOULD NOT BE WIDENED
Egypt supports the US in fighting terrorism, said Mubarak, but he reiterated his opposition to a prolonged conflict beyond Afghanistan.
However, he said that if the war in Afghanistan ended, this would not be the end of the terrorists. “We will have to work hard to apprehend their agents everywhere.”
“Don't widen the battlefield. You will have public opinion against you, and not only in the Arab world. If you attack any country in the Middle East, the countries that want to help will be in a difficult position.”
Mubarak said the United States shared information with Egypt, its second-largest recipient of foreign aid, on an almost daily basis.
But Egypt cannot join the coalition and take part in the war, unlike what happened in the Gulf War, he added.
“Look, in the Arab World there is a joint defense agreement that if there is aggression against an [Arab] country, we have to support action. But with Afghanistan, there is no such agreement. So if I want to send forces, I have to get the Parliament's approval and win public opinion. I don't think they will agree.”
EUROPE AND US SHELTERED TERRORISTS
Mubarak said that the hunt for terrorists should not be limited to the Middle East, because some might be living in Europe, which has sheltered them, as has the US.
“I talked about this [two weeks ago] with Prime Minister [Tony] Blair, who said according to their laws, they could not extradite them. So I told him, 'Watch them. Be careful.'"
“There were some in Germany and in the US - I think now you are apprehending them.”
The president said he had warned his Western allies of “paying a heavy price” if they harbored terrorists, citing the example of Sheikh Omar Abdul Rahman, who was seen as “the 'spiritual' leader of the four men convicted in the 1993 bombing [of the World Trade Center]."
Rahman was later convicted of a plot to blow up New York tunnels.
BIN LADEN IS US-MADE, BUT CANNOT BE BLAMED FOR ANTHRAX SCARE
The president said he did not think that alleged terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden was experienced enough to wage a bio-war, but added that his country was worried and taking precautionary measures.
However, he urged authorities to capture the suspected terrorist, saying: “If you catch him, we will applaud you.”
According to Mubarak, bin Laden and his Egyptian lieutenant Ayman Zawahri worked with the US during the Afghan war, along with Sheik Abdel Rahman.
“After the war, you left them without jobs. Bin Laden started working in drugs, making billions of dollars.”
He added that Zawahri was one of the mujahedeen fighters recruited by the US to soldier in Afghanistan. When the Soviets withdrew, he turned to terrorism.
“Although he comes from a good family, he participated in killing Sadat,” said the president.
I FEEL THREATENED, THANKS TO ISRAEL
Asked if he felt threatened, President Mubarak said, “As long as I am active in relation to Israel, I am under threat.”
But he evaded a question on whether he was personally involved in a US peace plan in the Middle East. Instead he urged Washington to provide answers to the conflict.
“As long as your country is attacking terrorism in Afghanistan, please strike a balance by moving forward in the peace process. Thus, the public will understand that you are not just attacking Muslims.”
He added that Egypt kept pushing Palestinian President Yasser Arafat to move towards peace. However, he added that Arafat was under pressure by hardline field leaders like Marwan Barghouthi, whom Mubarak described as “terrible.”
“Arafat can't make a decision alone or the people would leave him. Mind you, Arafat has some terrible people around him, like [Marwan] Bargouthi.”
He said that bin Laden was using the Palestinian cause as an excuse for his terrorist activities. “Bin Laden made his explosions and then started talking about the Palestinians. He never talked about them before.”
EGYPT SACRIFICED FOR PEACE; SHARON NOT A MAN OF HIS WORD
“Egypt is a country that sacrificed for peace. We lost Sadat. I have been criticized for making contact with Israelis. I've had three promises from [Israeli Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon but not one has been implemented. He sent an envoy to me after he took office, who said 'Sharon wants to end his career by making peace.' He was going to come up with a peace plan within two weeks and, after finalizing it, would meet with me. . . . Nothing happened. The only Israeli interested in peace was [former prime minister] Yitzhak Rabin [assassinated in 1995]. He was a very courageous man.”
SYRIA HAS CONTROL OF ITS PALESTINIAN GUESTS
President Mubarak said that the Palestinian organizations in Syria were very well controlled.
As to the Lebanese Hizbollah, it uses Syria as a transit point to Iran, its actual sponsor, the president added.
“For the time being, this has basically stopped. Syria's president [Bashar Assad] is eager to keep his country from getting into a difficult position. He wants peace.” – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
