Palestinian State, only guarantee for secure, safe Middle East
Egypt-Regional, Politics, 10/9/2001

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said that the establishment of a Palestinian state is the 'only solution' to realize stability in the Middle East and bring security to Israelis and Palestinians alike.

He repeated his call on the US to adopt stringent measures to settle the Palestinian problem due to its extreme importance in uprooting terrorism.

He was speaking to the press after the opening of the Mubarak Peace Bridge over the Suez Canal at a site located between Ismailia and Port Said.

"Egypt supports all measures taken by the US against terrorism because Egypt itself has suffered from terrorism before," he said.

Asked on fears in the Arab street that the American military strikes against terrorism may extend to reach Arab states, Mubarak said: 'After the terrorist operations in the US, Egypt announced its position and made it clear repeatedly, that we are against terrorism, because we have been suffering from it and we support any operation to salvage us from terrorism.' As far as Arab fears are concerned, Mubarak said "I hope that the US, and as US President (George Bush) told me, will not use these forces in killing innocent civilians, but will deal with military establishments and other (such targets)." Asked on the latest Bush remarks on the right of Palestinians to establish their own state, Mubarak reaffirmed the urgent need for settling the Palestinian problem and reaching a comprehensive Mideast solution, but added that President Bush was now preoccupied with the strike against Afghanistan.

"I think the American president, when he said he recognized the establishment of a Palestinian state, he meant it, but I think he is very busy these days. I have asked him repeatedly to put this urgently into force. A Palestinian state must be established and the Palestinian problem must be solved. The Middle East problem, which is the deciding reason behind violence in the world,has to come to a comprehensive solutoin," said the President.

Regarding his call for an international anti-terrorism conference and whether the terrorist hotbeds were to be eradicated first before its holding, the President warned against ignoring settling the Palestinian problem.

"I think we are talking about the Palestinian problem, it is a problem of a very special nature in the world, if no measures are taken towards its settlement, it may breed other generations of terrorists, nobody wants this, and I think the US and its president knows this very well, and he promised he will proceed on the road towards the settlement of the Middle East problem," Mubarak told the press.

"The Israeli people will never be guaranteed any security unless a Palestinian independent state is established along their borders, this is the only guarantee for the settlement of this issue," he said.

"But using force, killing innocents and fighting will not solve the problem and will not lead to stability in the region, but on the contrary, it will heighten the state of instability for the Israeli citizen," he warnedadding that both Israeli and Palestinian citizens are human beings ang everybody of them wants peace and security.

"Therefore, there must be a firm step and greater guarantees to secure the Israeli citizen in his country and everywhere as well as in the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state," he added.

Previous Stories:
  Statement of the Conference on Islamic Tolerance and Rejection of Terrorism   (10/8/2001)
  Terrorism will not come to end without just solution to Arab-Israeli conflict   (10/8/2001)
  Mubarak: Calm can be restored by a just solution   (10/5/2001)

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