Mubarak receives fact-finding committee

The Fact-Finding Committee investigating violence in the occupied lands arrived in Cairo early Tuesday under George Mitchell on a one-day visit to Egypt where President Hosni Mubarak will receive him.

The Committee comprises former US Congressman Warren Rodman, former Turkish President Suleyman Demirel, Norwegian Foreign Minister Thorbjorn Jagland and European Union (EU) External Affairs Chief Javier Solana.

Following arrival, Solana said that the Committee is keen on meeting with President Mubarak, the wise man in this region, to have his counsel and good ideas to find a way out of the predicament of violence.

Solana said the Committee members had very important 3-hour talks with Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat and a similar meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak.

Egypt welcomed the mission of the International Fact-Finding Committee dispatched to the occupied Palestinian areas.

The Commission starts its work on Monday.

Assistant Foreign Minister for International Multilateral Relations Ambassador Soliman Awad said Egypt hopes that the Commission will come up with an objective report that does not make the aggressor and victim equal and does not blame Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat or the Palestinians.

"We hope the Commission will not hold the unarmed Palestinians, who had to confront the Israeli war machine, responsible," he said.

"Egypt appreciates the Committee's efforts and is hoping that it would produce a fair and objective report quickly in a bid to contain the situation," Ambassador Awad said.

"The attempt by the Mitchell Commission to equate the aggressor (Israel) and the victim (the Palestinians). Should it happen, it would be a subject for sarcasm from everyone who witnessed the events," he said.

Awad said that Egypt is focusing on benefiting from the report of Mary Robinson, Chief of the UN Commission For Human Rights, following her visit to the occupied lands.

Awad described the report as strong and objective, adding that the eight human rights reporters, each in his/her field, will leave Geneva for the occupied Palestinian territories.

"The international committee of inquiry over Israeli violations of human rights will be set up apart from the Mitchell committee, which was formed in accordance with the Sharm EL Sheikh understandings, "said Awad.

On the importance of Egyptian moves, Awad noted that the Egyptian diplomatic activities aim, inter alia, at obtaining a resolution on international protection for the Palestinians, an issue that will be discussed in the Security Council Monday.

The Ambassador elaborated that the proposed draft resolution was prepared by the Non-Alignment Movement (NAM) in the UN Security Council, adding that the Cairo Emergency Arab summit was the first to speak about protection for the unarmed Palestinians in the face of Israeli antagonism continuing since September 26.