Maher sees faint flicker of hope in Iraq
Egypt-Iraq, Politics, 4/12/2003

Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher has played down hopes of a peaceful solution to the ongoing US-led war against Baghdad. He admits: "It appears almost impossible to the hostilities just now. The countries responsible are determined to press on with military operations, while the Iraqi Army and people are still resisting courageously."

However, Maher doesn't want to extinguish the still faintly flickering flame of hope. "The hostilities will end in stalemate. The coalition's operations on the ground will grind to a halt when it becomes too difficult for them to continue. At that moment, the voices calling for peace will be heard," he explains. The Egyptian Foreign Minister also predicts that the guns will only fall silent in Baghdad if and when the invaders realize that they cannot achieve their ambitions.

Maher confirmed to October magazine last week that Egypt made tremendous efforts to save the Iraqi people from the threat of a devastating war even before it started. "The Egyptian leadership did its best to avert the war by trying to persuade both sides to find a peaceful solution," the Egyptian FM explained. "We contacted both sides, urging Baghdad to comply with UN Security Council resolutions and international legitimacy."

He says that two things have confirmed the reservations Egypt had before the outbreak of hostilities: the alarming death toll among civilians in Baghdad and the increasing number of victims among the US and British troops. "The war in Baghdad has caused deep divisions in the US itself and other Western countries," Maher continues, adding that no-one will emerge victorious from the war on Iraq.

Egypt's top diplomat also stresses that in its quest for a peaceful solution to the Iraqi crisis, his country has been working very hard to garner the support of the Non-Alignment Movement and the Arab world in general. "We are now planning to ask the UN General Assembly to hold a meeting to discuss the situation," he says.

But he dismisses claims that the Arabs have been refusing to speak out about the Iraqi crisis, although he does admit that the Arabs were and are in a very difficult position. "We can only do what we are capable of doing," Maher explains. "As for Egypt, we have made enormous efforts to reduce the Arab differences and increase Arab unity and solidarity in face of the growing threat."

The Egyptian Foreign Minister also told the magazine that he and UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw were unable to agree over the Iraqi issue, admitting that the US-proposed 'roadmap', whose aim is to create a favorable climate for the establish- mint of an independent Palestinian state by 2005, dominated his recent phone call with Straw.

"Regarding the Iraqi crisis, we and the UK haven't come to any agreement," Maher says. "We advised British officials in all sincerity to stop using military force. We are against the use of force to overthrow the Iraqi regime, although that is exactly what the British government of Tony Blair has been doing. Nevertheless, they (the Americans and the British) seem to believe that they are above having to respect international legitimacy and the role of the UN Security Council."

Apparently rejecting claims that the United States wants to further democracy in the Arab countries, Maher stresses that large-scale political reform is already underway in the Middle East region. "However, most of these reforms cannot just happen overnight at the snap of one's fingers," he says.

"Frankly speaking, I really cannot understand why the US insists on picking on the Middle East," the FM continues. "There are other dictatorial regimes all over the world and the US isn't the slightest bit interested in them." He also stresses that Egypt has made tremendous progress in terms of its own democracy, freedom of speech and free and fair elections.

"What Egypt has achieved is there for everyone to see. But democracy cannot be forcibly imposed - that would defeat the whole purpose of democracy."

Previous Stories:
  Freezing activity of Iraqi embassy in Cairo, Mubarak meets Saudi FM   (4/11/2003)
  Mubarak: Iraqis should take over own government 'as soon as possible'   (4/10/2003)
  Maher and the war against Iraq   (4/10/2003)

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