RAMALLAH — Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has disrespected Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
Palestinian sources said Abbas received a chilly reception during his
visit to Cairo last week. They said Abbas waited 45 minutes until he was
received by Egyptian intelligence chief Gen. Omar Suleiman.
"The Egyptians have lost all respect for Abu Mazen," the source said.
"Abu Mazen was a figurehead before the elections, but today he has become
pathetic and remains in his position only because of U.S. pressure."
In contrast to Abbas, Mubarak and his aides have extended a warm welcome
to Hamas leaders, Middle East Newsline reported. The sources said Hamas leader Khaled Masha'al has been
accorded a welcome reserved for most heads of state.
Masha'al and other Hamas leaders have been hosted by Egypt and Qatar,
both leading allies of the United States. Russia, a member of the so-called
Quartet, has also invited Hamas leaders for consultations. Jordan was
expected to invite Masha'al as well.
"The difference between Egypt's treatment of Abu Mazen [Abbas] this time
and last time was significant," a Palestinian source said. "This time, Abu
Mazen was simply a doormat."
The sources said Cairo no longer relies on the PA to ensure the safety
of Egyptian diplomats or security advisers in the Gaza Strip. On Thursday,
an Egyptian military adviser was abducted in Gaza City.
This was the first such abduction of an Egyptian official and came
nearly a week after a contingent of Egyptian military instructors left the
Gaza Strip. The sources said Fatah operatives engineered the kidnapping as
part of their campaign to pressure Abbas not to transfer power to Hamas.
Over the last two months, Egypt, the strongest ally of Abbas and his
Fatah movement, sustained two major attacks by Fatah. In December 2005, two
Egyptian soldiers were killed in a Fatah attack on the Egyptian-Gaza border.
Abbas apologized for the incident, but the PA has not prosecuted anybody for
the killings.
The sources said that in wake of the Hamas victory in the Palestinian
Legislative Council elections on Jan. 25 Mubarak and his advisers no longer
regard Abbas as the source of authority. They said Abbas, despite Egyptian
urging, has failed to impose control over either the PA or Fatah.
On Friday, deputy Egyptian intelligence chief Mustafa Buheiri told the
London-based A-Sharq Al Awsat daily that 70 Egyptian military advisers left
the Gaza Strip earlier this month. But Buheiri, who called for the release
of the abducted military adviser, denied that Cairo planned to suspend
security cooperation with the PA.
"The contingent trained PA police and completed its mission," Buheiri,
based in Gaza City, said. "We also don't have any intention to reduce our
presence in the Gaza Strip, which protects the interests of the Palestinian
people."
