Maher: Sharon is masterminding useless campaign against Egypt

Egyptian Foreign Minster Ahmed Maher asserted that Israeli Premier Ariel Sharon is currently waging a campaign against Egypt and that such a vicious campaign would be in vain as the whole world acknowledges the pivotal role played by Egypt and President Hosni Mubarak.

Maher ridiculed claims that by fighting terrorism Egypt was taking it to other countries.

Sharon is crippling from one mistake to another, said the foreign minister.

Sharon who insulted the United States and did a hatchet job on its Mideast policies, is now masterminding a campaign against Egypt, he added.

Maher was commenting on questions on whether Sharon's projected visit to the US could affect the American stand vis-a- vis the Mideast peacemaking drive, especially that it coincides with an American media campaign against Egypt.

Sharon needs not visit the United States to drive to work pro-Israel fans in the US, he noted.

Maher vocalized astonishment over an anti-Egypt report in US newspapers.

The report runs counter to logic and reason and proves that Israel does not know what it wants because it feels that the Egyptian stance is the right and solid one that influenced the American handling of so many issues, he said.

Israel wants to undermine world and American recognition of Egypt, said Maher, asserting that the Israelis are talking about a meaningless peace.

What the Israeli government is doing is not based on any stance and stems from the desire to stymie any progress and hamper any efforts to hammer out a settlement, said the foreign minister.

Maher accused Israel of unleashing rumors and lies about Arab countries and the US, asserting that the Israelis are feeling the pinch of their weak position.

On reports of American threats to expand the antiterrorism military campaign to include Syria, Maher stressed "We did not hear of such a thing and are quite confident that the United States will not direct the campaign to any Arab country".

The situation will be very dangerous if any Arab country is hit, said the diplomat.

On American denial of a US initiative to move forward the Mideast peacemaking bid and whether this marks a backtracking on the American stance, Maher said "Egypt believes that the incumbent US Administration which once seemed disinterested in the Middle east issue has now become interested and realized the importance of working to settle it".

There are specific American stances on its envisaged concept of the final settlement, said Maher.

He made it clear that such a move would have been taken during the meeting of the UN General Assembly which was postponed after the September 11 attacks.

Maher anticipated an American statement clarifying the US' position to be issued in the near future.

What the US will table is not an initiative because an initiative means proposing a solution to the two sides, he said, elaborating that the US will only put forward its vision of the settlement.

These are not specific proposals but rather crystallization of the current stances that govern peace settlement and negotiations, said the foreign minister.

On the vision of the Palestinian state which the American administration spoke about with no reference to Arab and Palestinian rights in Al-Quds (Jerusalem), Maher said all the issues will be put for discussions, adding that no-one should ask for a sudden jumping over certain stances to adopt an initiative.

"There is no initiative, when we talk about a Palestinian state the envisaged conception refers to its borders in accordance with UN resolutions which stipulates that East Jerusalem is an occupied land and that withdrawal would include it along with other areas." said Maher.

He renewed assertions that the American stance was clear even before the September attacks via messages between President Mubarak and US President George Bush.

"The September 11 incidents may have postponed and not accelerated the announcement of this American stand," Maher pointed out.

Commenting on demonstrations against the American campaign in Western countries like Britain and not only Arab ant Islamic states, Maher said "this explains that there are so many people who do not agree with the American policy.