El-Baz: Egypt prevented Bush from entering Baghdad, arresting Saddam
Egypt, Politics, 2/5/1999

The Egyptian president's political advisor, Osama El-Baz, said that the "Iraqi government failed in dealing with the mistakes committed by UNSCOM chairman Richard Butler, who was in charge of eliminating the Iraqi mass destruction weapons."

In a lecture he delivered on Wednesday night to visitors to the Cairo International Book Fair, El-Baz said Iraq should have dealt with the crisis in coordination with the UN Security Council permanent member states, especially Russia and China and France, and abided by policies complying with ideas of Arab national security, stop threatening its neighbors and not offer "pretexts to any side."

El-Baz added that Egypt has supported Iraq by all means and prevented US President George Bush from entering the capital, Baghdad, toppling the government and arresting Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

El-Baz added that Egypt, then, told President Bush that by doing so, "Arab public opinion will be provoked."

El-Baz continued that in February 1998 Egypt prevented strikes against Iraq and coordinated with France, Russia and China and succeeded in that.

On the Arab position toward condemning the recent strikes on Iraq El-Baz said: "Condemnation would have not stopped the US-British strikes," noting, "The UN main member states failed to do so."

He ruled out any Arab impact on the US -UK decision. He indicated in this respect that, "To have an Arab effect and an effective presence inside the US there should be an Arab lobby built by the four million Americans of Arab descent."

Previous Stories:
  El-Baz: Egypt will do its utmost to prevent division of Iraq   (2/4/1999)
  Egyptian position regarding a solution to the Iraqi problem   (2/3/1999)
  Mubarak, Chirac refuse intervention in Iraq's affairs   (2/3/1999)

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