Egypt admits to U.S. pressure on missile cooperation with Russia, N. Korea

CAIRO — Egypt has acknowledged that the regime of President Hosni Mubarak is under pressure from the United States regarding Cairo's missile cooperation with North Korea and Russia.

Egyptian government sources said Mubarak was pressed in Washington regarding U.S. intelligence reports that Cairo was cooperating with North Korea in the development of medium- and intermediate-range missiles. The sources said Mubarak has also been questioned regarding Egyptian plans to launch missile cooperation with Russia.

The sources said Mubarak was questioned during his March visit in Washington. They said this was the first time Mubarak was directly asked whether Egypt maintains missile cooperation with North Korea.

Mubarak dismissed the allegations and said Egypt does not engage in missile cooperation with North Korea, the sources said. They said Mubarak complained to Bush administration officials that the questions raised in Washington were improper to be asked of a U.S. ally.

Defense Minister Hussein Tantawi stressed that Egypt would continue its military contacts with a range of countries. Tantawi did not address North Korea.

"This goes together with responding to an international wish that we take part in peacekeeping operations in view of the high reputation and confidence acquired by our forces as a result of their participation in several peacekeeping operations in areas of conflict," Tantawi said.

Since the Washington visit, Mubarak is said to feel that Egypt's importance has been played down by the Bush administration. The sources said this includes Mubarak's efforts to promote a plan drafted together with Jordan that would end the Israeli-Palestinian mini-war, now in its eighth month.

The sources said the Bush administration also interfered during Mubarak's visit to Moscow last month. They said U.S. diplomats asked for clarifications of reports that Mubarak was discussing the prospect of missile cooperation with Russia. This included Mubarak's plans to visit a Russian missile factory outside Moscow.

The U.S. search for clarifications reached Mubarak, who then cancelled his visit to the missile factory and then returned to Moscow. In Moscow, Mubarak signed several cooperation accords that included the transfer of Russian industrial and nuclear technology to Cairo.

On Monday, Mubarak said Egypt does not want war despite Israeli threats amid an increasingly explosive situation in Middle East. But he said his country — referring to the Israeli preemptive strike in 1967 — was ready to defend itself from any attack and that Israel would be the first casualty.

"If the Israelis dare to take any similar action, the Israeli people will suffer the same damage as the Egyptians," Mubarak told the Kuwaiti daily Al Siyassa.

Egyptian sources have blamed pro-Israeli officials, congressional members and lobbyists for the U.S. pressure on Mubarak. But the sources maintained that Mubarak's standing in the Bush administration has not been affected.

"President Mubarak has turned to be the main player capable of scoring the peace goal in the area," the state-owned Ruz El Yusef, which reflects the opinions of the Mubarak regime, said. "Hence, he became the primary opponent for peace enemies in Israel. That’s why problems are fabricated against Egypt by all means, starting by allegation of secretly providing Palestinians with weapons, military cooperation with North Korea, urging to sever U.S. aid, accusations of terrorism, religious persecution, absence of democracy."

The magazine said Mubarak has not been ruffled by the U.S. pressure and predicted that the administration would rejected criticism of Egypt.