Egypt rejects any US attacks against Arab country
Egypt-Qatar, Politics, 12/29/2001

Egyptian President Mubarak and Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa AL Thani yesterday continued their talks for the second day running, discussing the latest developments in the Middle East, coordinating Arab stance towards the latest international developments, combating terrorism and bilateral relations.

The two leaders held a tete-a-tete meeting that was followed by a at the level of the two delegations.

President Mubarak hosted a lunch banquet in honour of the Qatari guest and his accompanying delegation.

Emerging from the talks, Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said the two Arab leaders tackled the situation in Occupied Palestine and terror combat, adding that Mubarak and Sheikh Hamad underlined the importance of not expanding the anti-terror campaign to include any Arab country.

Maher said he met with his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Hamad at the directives of both Mubarak and the Emir of Qatar.

The Qatari top diplomat, on his part, described as good the Mubarak Hamad talks.

He added that his talks with Maher took up the situation in the Arab world, deeming as dangerous and sensitive the goings-on in the occupied Palestinian lands.

"The situation requires a well-calculated Arab action to the grave developments," said the Qatari foreign minister.

On current Arab, especially Egyptian and Qatari efforts to thwart any potential military strikes against Iraq, Sheikh Hamad said, "we cannot say that such efforts would be a deterrent".

The issue is of deep concern to both Egypt and Qatar, he asserted, adding that it came high during the Mubarak-Hamad talks.

"The issue of striking Iraq or any other Arab country is categorically rejected as has been in the past and will continue to be in the future," he said.

"There must be clear-cut legal and international justifications for such a step," said the Qatari top diplomat.

He was hopeful all parties would listen to the call of reason in solving terrorism-related issues that, he said, should be handled via legal channels.

On whether Egypt and Qatar had agreed on steps to halt the current deterioration in the Middle East, the Qatari Foreign Minister said there are hopes because we know that the Israeli government and (Israeli premier Ariel Sharon are taking intransigent positions.

He spoke of an Israeli scheme to force the Palestinian people to their knees, averring that the Palestinians would never accept this.

On whether there was hope for peace under Sharon, the Qatari Minister recalled that Maher talked with Sharon in Tel Aviv and came up with the impression that Israel was taking rigid stances.

We hope Sharon would soon realise that such intransigence would lead nowhere, he added.

Taking up the same issue, Maher said he agrees with the Qatari description of the Israeli position.

This does not mean that we would not keep up efforts whether to mobilize world powers against the Israeli policies or urge Arab countries to take stances that would stimulate influential world powers to realise the gravity of the Israeli policies, he elaborated.

"Despite our pessimism and realization that Sharon favors no solution, this does not mean we would suspend regional and international efforts to ameliorate the situation and convince the Israeli people that Sharon's government does not represent their interests,' said Maher.

On the Egyptian-Qatari agreement on the issues discussed, the Qatari Minister said the two leaderships see eye-to-eye, especially with respect to the Palestinian question.

Sheikh Hamad described Maher's Israel visit as a practical step to dot the I's and cross the T's.

"We discovered now that the Israelis do not want peace", he stressed.

The Qatari Foreign Minister said Egyptian and Qatari views are identical on the Palestinian cause adding contacts and consultations would be sustained between the two countries in future, answering a question on the visit by the Emir of Qatar to Russia, and Turkey in his capacity as chairman of the organization of Islamic conference and his talks on the Iraqi and Palestinian issues, the Foreign Minister of Qatar said there are some countries which could do something and other which would like to do something.

"I believe that there is an understanding the Arab stance" he said.

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