During his visit, however, Mubarak appeared to concentrate on promoting
his son and heir-apparent, Gamal, an economist and regarded as the No. 2
figure in Egypt's ruling National Democratic Party. In at least one private
meeting, Mubarak said Gamal, who has been accompanying his father in
Washington, would be vital in maintaining U.S.-Egyptian relations, Middle East Newsline reported. Egypt,
which receives about $1.3 billion annually, has been the second largest
recipient of U.S. military aid after Israel.
"Pushing Gamal is his real priority because this is clearly his [the
elder Mubarak's] last visit to the United States," the official said.
During his two-day visit, Mubarak limited his meetings in Washington
largely to Obama and his top aides. On Aug. 18, Mubarak and Gamal spent most
of the day at the White House, where they also met Vice President Joseph
Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and National Security Advisor
James Jones. Later, former President Bill Clinton arrived at the White House
for a separate meeting with Mubarak.
A participant in
one meeting said Mubarak appeared to be in physical pain and unable to
understand much of what was being said to him. "He looks like a zombie," the participant said.
"We are moving in the right direction," Mubarak said meeting the president.
"The Arab states are ready to help if the Israelis and the Palestinians
returned to peace talks."
Over the last few weeks, the administration has approved a series of
Egyptian weapons requests and deliveries, including that of military
helicopters and anti-ship missiles. The White House was also expected to
approve an Egyptian request for the advanced F-16 Block 52+ multi-role
fighter later in 2009.
"Relations between us and the United States are very good relations and
strategic relations," Mubarak said. "And despite some of the hoops that we
had with previous administrations, this did not change the nature of our
bilateral relations."
Before meeting Obama, Mubarak met a delegation of some 20 U.S. Jewish
leaders in a session described as friendly. During Mubarak's stay, the
Egyptian embassy gathered visiting students and expatriates to chant slogans
in support of the president outside his Washington hotel.
The Egyptian president did not schedule any sessions with leaders of
Congress. Congress, which in 2007 voted to reduce U.S. military aid to Cairo
by $100 million, has been critical of Egypt's human rights record and
strategic alliance with Sudan.
Mubarak, in power since 1981, was said to have undergone a serious
decline in health over the last year. In 2009, he underwent a battery of
medical tests in Paris that
identified heart illness, blood ailments and a serious back problem.
Moreover, the president was said to have sunk into a depression when his
12-year-old grandson died suddenly in May 2009. Mohammed Ala Mubarak was
said to have been the president's favorite.
"The doctors told him to take a long vacation abroad, but he felt he
could not be outside Egypt for so long," a Western diplomatic source said.
For his part, Mubarak reassured the Obama administration that he would
remain in office in the years to come. He did not rule out running for
another term of office in 2011.
"I have entered into the elections based on a platform that included
reforms," Mubarak said. "And therefore we have started to implement some of
it, and we still have two years to implement it."
