US walkout meaningless
Egypt-Regional, Politics, 9/4/2001

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher regretted the US decision to withdraw from the third UN world conference against racism (WCAR) and described it as meaningless.

"The US chose to walk out of the event while deliberations and meetings were still going on," he said.

In press statements late Monday commenting on the US walkout, Maher said that South Africa issued a statement blaming the US for its withdrawal in the middle of the conference.

The walkout is a declaration that the US could not pass what it was seeking while other participants are determined to realize the goals of the conference, said Maher.

Asked whether the US decision would affect the conference, Maher said that South Africa underlined that the conference will continue as planned.

He added that he heard nothing of other countries intending to walk out except Israel.

Egypt wanted the US to continue participation in the conference and cooperate with all participants in devising balanced resolutions in harmony with the conference targets, Maher added.

Asked about the claims of the Israeli delegate that his country is exposed to an Arab propaganda war and former Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu's statements that Arabs are tarnishing the image of Israel, Maher said "I have no comment on that. But even if there was, as they claim, a propaganda campaign, it is better that the extermination war launched by Israel against the Palestinian women, men, children and elderly people using F-16, Apache helicopter, missiles and internationally-banned weapons."

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