World Tribune.com

U.S. happy with Mubarak role in Arab summit

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Tuesday, October 24, 2000

CAIRO — Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has again emerged as the most reliable American ally in the Arab world.

U.S. officials expressed satisfaction with Mubarak's leadership of the Arab League summit, which ended on Sunday. The officials said Mubarak did not allow Syria and other hardline Arab states to impose any decisions that would block the resumption of the peace process or sever relations with Israel or the United States.

During the summit, Iraq called for holy war, Libya called for a military campaign and Syria demanded the resumption of the Arab economic boycott against Israel.

In Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak also expressed satisfaction with Mubarak's role. Barak said Mubarak led the summit "in a responsible and considered fashion and sees regional peace and Israeli-Palestinian agreement as [the] main goal for all states in the region."

Arab diplomatic sources said Mubarak's task was easier than at first glance. The sources said Mubarak quickly won the consent of oil-rich Gulf states adamant in their refusal to use oil as a weapon or allow Palestinians to return as laborers.

"There was much Gulf resentment against [Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser] Arafat," a Gulf diplomat said. "Arafat is a force to deal with but gone are the days when he can dictate to the Gulf states."

Instead, Mubarak allowed the Arab League summit to vent anger toward Israel without preventing anybody from maintaining relations with the Jewish state. Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Mussa, however, warned that the Arabs will halt regional cooperation with Israel.

"We mean business," Mussa told a news conference after the summit. "It is time out for the peace process. There will be no negotiations [with Israel.]"

But Mussa refused to say whether Egypt and Jordan will sever diplomatic relations with Israel, a response that disappointed Palestinian diplomats. They had demanded more concrete pledges of aid as well as an agreement by the Gulf states to employ 130,000 Palestinians.

"We still want more," Palestinian Authority International Cooperation Minister Nabil Shaath said.

The final summit communique called for a United Nations war crimes tribunal on Israeli attacks on the Palestinians as well as the establishment of two Arab funds worth $1 billion. PA Chairman Yasser Arafat has demanded that Saudi Arabia immediately contribute its pledge of $250 million.

But Arab diplomatic sources doubted that the full sum would ever be raised.

On Monday, the Iraqi press blasted the Arab league for it's policy on Israel and called for a holy war against those leaders who made the "failed decision" on Israel. The papers also urged the populations of the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia to "revolt against their leaders."

Tuesday, October 24, 2000


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