Mubarak: War would be better than 'this terror'

CAIRO — Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak says war appears preferable to the continued state of tension in the Middle East.

But Mubarak expressed his belief that the United States would intervene to stop any war in the region.

The assessment by the Egyptian president was made in an interview in the German weekly Der Spiegel ahead of his European tour on Tuesday. It was the first time Mubarak referred to the advantages of war in the Middle East.

"If the talks really turned to war, the Americans would get involved and prevent an all-out war from happening," Mubarak said in remarks quoted by the state-owned Egyptian media. "Yet as bad as war is, at least you know what you are dealing with. Worse than open war is this terror, which can strike anywhere and at any time."

Mubarak's assertion comes amid plans by Arab countries that surround Israel to meet in Cairo on May 16 to determine how to confront the Jewish state. Egyptian diplomatic sources said Mubarak succeeded in delaying such a meeting until after his trip to Russia later next week.

When previously asked about the subject, Mubarak would term war as an unthinkable prospect in the Middle East. The Egyptian president would often cite the heavy price his country has paid in previous conflicts with Israel.

But in the latest interview, Mubarak -- who is under pressure from parliament to sever ties with Israel, said Prime Minister Ariel Sharon wants to lead the region to war. Mubarak called on the United States to end the supply of weapons to the Jewish state.

"When he came to power, everyone told me that no real peace was to be made with Sharon. I defended him and said, 'Wait, give him time,'" Mubarak said. "Now I have the impression he is only interested in violence. He wants to force the Palestinians to follow his line. Israel will in the end have to admit that peace cannot be achieved with violence."

Earlier, Mubarak said Egypt can defend itself against Israeli attack. Mubarak's political adviser, Osama El Baz, agreed and told Egyptian television on late Sunday that Israel would not take any step that would result in a regional war. El Baz said that for Israel an all-out war would be "the final nail in its coffin."

Mubarak begins his European tour with a visit to Berlin. He will later fly to Bucharest and then to Moscow.

In Amman, Jordan's King Abdullah said the region can no longer withstand the current tension. In a meeting with a U.S. House delegation, Abdullah called on the United States to support an Egyptian-Jordanian plan to end the nearly seven-month-old mini-war between Israel and the Palestinians.

Israeli sources said Prime Minister Ariel Sharon appears to have withdrawn his opposition to the Egyptian-Jordanian plan and now views it as a basis for future negotiations.