Air strikes against Iraq unjustified negative step
Egypt-Iraq, Politics, 2/20/2001

Egypt's Foreign Minister Amr Moussa advised Israel to start peace talks and not to get ready for war. In his statement to Reuters from Rome, where he is accompanying President Hosni Mubarak, an Egyptian report said.

Moussa underlined that the threats of Israeli officials don't terrify anybody.He added that whatever the coming Israeli government be, It should abide by peace policy and not war.

Moussa highlighted that President Mubarak repeatedly said that if the Israelis sow the seeds of destruction, the outcome will not be confined to one party.

On the other hand, Egypt yesterday condemned as a negative and unjustified step Friday night's Anglo-American air strikes against Iraq.

"Striking at Iraq constitutes a negative step that is conducive to much trouble in the region, " said Moussa.

He told Egyptian TV that "dialogue" was the only way to resolve the Iraq problem and said that he believed the recent attack against Iraq did not help for that matter.

Iraq said that two civilians were killed and more that 20 others injured as a result of raids by us and British warplanes against targets on the outskirts of Baghdad on Friday.

In Baghdad, thousands of Iraqis demonstrated for the second day running in protest against last week's US -British air strike near their capital.

Nearly 20,000 Iraqis staged the protest, burning US and Israeli flags and chanting slogans in support of President Saddam Hussein and denouncing the United States and its new President, George. Bush.

Demonstrators at the rally organized by the ruling Arab Baath party, waved Iraqi and Palestinian flags, as well as posters of Saddam.

"We will not relinquish... Iraq and Saddam Hussein," they chanted, while others shouted "with soul and blood we redeem you Palestine," echoing their country's strong support for the nearly five-month Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation.

"We are ready to fight all parties that try to hurt Iraq," said Sadeq Faraj, a civil servant.

Previous Stories:
  Iraq's bombardment outraged Arab public opinion   (2/19/2001)
  Egyptian - Iraqi relations beyond diplomatic representation   (1/18/2001)
  Blockade on Iraq should go no further   (1/15/2001)

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