Egypt: Middle East peace without Syria unattainable

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has asserted that Syria is a main party to the Middle East peace process, adding that without Syria peace is not attainable and stability will not be ensured in the region.

In statements to the French daily Le Figaro issued on Wednesday, Mubarak warned against Israel's continuous building of new settlements. He stated that, "This will undermine the Middle East peace process as a whole." He criticized the policy pursued by the Israeli government,which is based on imposing de facto, noting the frustration prevailing in the region because of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's current policy.

President Mubarak, furthermore, criticized the US double-standard policy against countries of the region. He wondered "why the Americans just blame Israel's misbehaviors while provoking storms against the Arabs."

In the same context, the Egyptian president's advisor for political affairs, Osama El-Baz, called for reviving the common Arab defense treaty to withstand challenges imposed on the Arabs.

In press statements he made on Wednesday in Cairo, El-Baz reiterated his country's reflection for the Israeli-Turkish military alliance. He warned against the policy of axes and alliances which threatened security and stability in the region.

El-Baz said that Israeli nuclear weapons pose dangers to the region's security. He called for liquidating the Israeli nuclear weapons and submitting Israeli nuclear firms to international inspection.