Al-Baz: Middle East, not priority on Bush Administration's agenda
Egypt-USA, Politics, 1/13/2001

"The current period does not allow more bargaining with the US side as regards the peace process since US President Bill Clinton's days in office are numbered," said Osama Al-Baz, Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak's Political Advisor.

In statements to MENA, Baz said that the Palestinian and Israeli sides floated reservations on the US proposed formula while the US Administration finds it hard to introduce any amendments there as the new Administration is getting ready to take power in Washington.

It is difficult to imagine that the new US Administration will focus ,in its early days ,on the Middle East problem whether in respect to the Arab-Israeli conflict or to other issues prompting US review.

He manifested a belief that the Middle East problem will not occupy a great priority on the US policy visions in the era of George W. Bush because they will have several pivotal areas worthy of interest prior to moving to the Middle East region.

Baz pointed out that the new US Administration is going to be interested in fine-tuning relations with Russia, expanding the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), re-formulation of relations with China on the grounds that it is a major power, liberalizing international trade with its intrinsic differences between Europe and the United States and up-to-date armament programmes.

"The new Administration might show that it will not "shelf" the Middle East issue or perhaps it would send experts to contact the parties concerned or make statements on the notion that it will not reduce interest in settling the disputes between the two sides," he said.

However, Baz believes, the Middle East file will not get much interest as far as the leading circles in Washington are concerned.

"In light of these facts, some view that it is important for the incumbent Administration, the Israeli government and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to broker a deal before Clinton leaves White House on January 19," he said.

Baz further said that the role is going to be marginal but the importance of other role like the Egyptian, European and Russian ones, might increase addition to efforts exerted by other Arab, Islamic, Asian African countries.

On what the Palestinians and Arabs can do to push Israel the United States to respond to Palestinians' legitimate demands, Baz believed that the US side and the Israeli government are convinced that there are some red lines that can not be passed.

"No Palestinian negotiator can ever cede Jerusalem as it is an issue of interest not only for the Palestinians but for Arabs and Muslims as well," Baz noted.

He said that after the Cairo Emergency Arab Summit and Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Summit in Doha and their final statements, it has become impossible for any Palestinian leadership, not only Arafat, to give any concessions on Al-Haram Al-Sharif.

Moving to the Egyptian-Sudanese relations and the ongoing of the Egyptian-Libyan initiative on the Sudanese affairs, said that there is no Egyptian would ever disregard the important special relations maintained between Egypt and each of Sudan and Libya.

The three countries form nearly one geographical and a close demographical entity, said Baz, adding that the three states have strong joint interests in common that there is no way playing them down at present or on the long run.

"Any good for Sudan or Libya is a great gain for Egypt in the same logic any harm befalling them would also under Egypt's interests," he said.

Baz described the Egyptian-Libyan initiative as an advanced point in the circle of efforts exerted to improve the situation in Sudan.

"The initiative is a positive contribution, bearing in mind that it was not meant to replace the one offered by the Inter- Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) as well are working within one African framework," Baz added.

On Algerian President Abdel-Aziz Bouteflika's initiative on Sudan, the political advisor said that it - we believe - will not be away from the broadlines of the Egyptian-Libyan or IGAD initiatives.

Previous Stories:
  Washington pursues efforts for Palestinian-Israeli deal   (1/6/2001)
  Egypt's Mufti: American goods are prohibited by Islam   (11/29/2000)
  Egypt is playing a leading role in peace process   (10/31/2000)

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