Egypt has acknowledged that President Hosni Mubarak is under pressure from the United States regarding Cairo's alleged missile cooperation with North Korea and Russia, reported the Middle East Newsline on Wednesday.
Egyptian government sources said Mubarak was pressed in Washington regarding US intelligence reports that Cairo was cooperating with North Korea in the development of medium and intermediate range missiles.
US official said that the missiles were based on the Scud C and had a range of 500 kilometers.
The sources said “Mubarak has also been questioned regarding Egyptian plans to launch missile cooperation with Russia" during his visit last month to Washington.
According to the news service, this was the first time Mubarak had been directly asked whether Egypt maintained missile cooperation with North Korea.
But Mubarak has dismissed the reports as "rumors," MENL said in a previous report.
"We are not dealing with North Korea," Mubarak was quoted as saying.
"Why are you making this propaganda against us? I cannot understand this. Anyway, I'm used to it. Before every visit, I hear so many rumors. But I don't care because I am sure of what I'm doing," Mubarak told reporters at the end of his visit to Washington.
For years, reports released by the CIA failed to even mention Egypt's missile development, the news service said.
US officials had said the questions to Mubarak come amid efforts by the Egyptian president to secure a formal strategic alliance with Washington – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
