Ikhwanweb :: The Muslim Brotherhood Official English Website

US Gives Up Reform In Egypt, Forges Anti Hamas & Iran Alliance

In an exclusive statement to Ikhwanweb, Researcher with Ahram Center for Political studies Dr. Amr el Shobaky commented on Rice ‘s visit by saying that it is aimed to forge a front to back Palestinian .......

Facebook Digg Yahoo Del.icio.us reddit StumbleUpon Mixx Google

In an exclusive statement to Ikhwanweb, Researcher with Ahram Center for Political studies Dr. Amr el Shobaky commented on Rice ‘s visit by saying that it is aimed to forge a front to back Palestinian President Abu Mazen against Hamas government, citing the recent negative positions of the Arab rulers toward Hamas led government. “ Rice’s visit shows a sign of a scheme purportedly concocted to fail the Palestinian democratic experiment and topple Hamas government” he said.

Scratch my  back and I will scratch yours

 On the Egyptian file, el Shobaky expressed his concern that the US position toward the inheritance of power and the Egyptian nuclear energy could give impression that both the US administration and the Egyptian regime may have concocted an agreement by which the US forgets about reform in Egypt while the latter accepts to play a regional role in backing of the US in its scheme in Palestine mainly for toppling the Hamas led government; the US also seeks to engage Egypt in the alliance it is forging against Hamas, Syria and Iran.

The  researcher also threw doubts on the US administration policy in the region, saying that the US seeks after its own interests rather than promoting for democracy as it claims, citing its position toward the Palestinian democracy.US

---

Overview of Rice"s visit to the region

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice started the first leg of her tour with Saudi Arabia, and before she headed for Israel and the Palestinian territories, she made a stopover in Egypt, holding talks in Cairo with President Mubarak which dealt with the recent developments in the Middle East region .

She also held talks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr. Ahmed Abul Ghait on the sidelines of a Cairo based meeting which embraced the six Gulf states along with Egypt and Jordan. In a joint press conference with her Egyptian counterpart, Rice dismissed as groundless reports that Washington meant by these recent meetings to forge a new alliance in the region, countering that these meetings with the Gulf states have been held for years and that the involvement of Egypt and Jordan in such meetings is due to their heated efforts for resolving the Israeli – Palestinian crisis and for the ideas they offer for a mechanism for enhancing the peace process.

 She also pointed out that the US Administration strongly backs “moderate and influential powers” in the region for stability in the Middle East, highlighting that those meetings gave priority to the four heated Arab issues, mainly the Palestinian, Lebanese, Iraqi and Darfur issues.

On the Palestinian issue

Rice said that the ministerial meeting with Arab Gulf states along with Egypt and Jordan highlighted the efforts made to back Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a way that could set the stage for two states solution according to US- Arab joint vision, and help mould a government able to “establish relations with the international community and meet the daily needs of the Palestinian people”.

 The Egyptian Foreign Minister hailed the meeting with Rice as constructive, dismissing reports on a new alliance embracing the Gulf states, Egypt and Jordan, regarding this meeting as a friendly one. Both the Qatari and Saudi Foreign ministers expressed their hope that the US efforts would help the two parties to resume the stalled peace process.

 According to Rice, the Arab Gulf states along with Egypt and Jordan expressed their deep concern over the recent bloody clashes between Palestinian warring factions, mainly Fateh and Hamas, which claimed the lives of a number of Palestinians and the injury of scores of them.

The Arab states participating in the US sponsored meetings purportedly backed up Rice’s statements as well as the call released by President Bush for the two parties to agree to coexist as two states, which could pave the way to a final status agreement.

Darfur Crisis:

Rice said the Cairo- based meeting dealt in detail with the Darfur file, conveying the US viewpoint that Sudan must adhere to the Security Council resolution and allows international forces into the region, denying that the resolution pose a challenge to the Sudan’s sovereignty or integrity.

Iraq

On the Iraqi crisis, Rice praised“ the major support provided by Saudi Arabia to the Iraqis on their way toward national reconciliation “, she said, regarding the Saudi support as an  opportunity for the Iraqis to establish their integrated and democratic state where Sunni, Shiites and Kurds co exist, but she urged that they  first and foremost overcome the security chaos in their country.

Nuclear Energy

Rice said that the US administration backs Egypt in its pursuit of developing nuclear energy for peaceful means, a proposal announced by Gamal Mubarak in the National Democratic Party’s annual conference late last month. “ We back the states which seek to use nuclear energy for peaceful means”, she said. But on the Iranian issue, Rice said that if they ( the Iranians) will not stop enrichment of uranium, this means that “ we will take the issue to the Security Council to impose international sanctions on Teheran “, she said.

Warnings to Syria

On the Syrian role in the region, Rice ruled out in its statements that the Syrians could be a factor of stability in Lebanon. She added that the Syrians must stop shipping arms from Iran, urging Syria to cooperate with the commission investigating in assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafeek el Hareery, and stop campaigns against Lebanese leaders.

Reform in Egypt:

In her joint press conference with her Egyptian counterpart in Cairo, Rice said “ The US will continue to call for democracy, hoping that Egypt takes steps toward democracy to set an example in the region” She also added that the US expects more from its allies and considers Egypt as part of Washington’s priorities in the region. But Foreign Minister Abul Ghait countered by saying that Egypt is in need of time before reform bears fruit, adding that the Egyptian constitution will undergo major amendments next year ” In this country, nothing can be done overnight”, he said, asserting that Egypt will surely move toward reform but in accordance with its vision. Asked how Washington sees Gamal succeeding his father in power, Rice said that it is an Egyptian domestic affair, adding that the  US doesn’t and shouldn’t meddle with such an issue.