Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak warned Israel Wednesday against the consequences in the Middle East of its policy toward the Palestinians.
"I warn the Israeli government again against the grave consequences of its policy on the future of the whole Middle East region including the security and stability of the Israeli people," Mubarak said in a speech.
Mubarak spoke before several hundred senior military officers to mark the 29th anniversary of the Oct. 6, 1973 Mideast war, when the Egyptian army launched a surprise attack across the Suez Canal, dislodging Israel's army from positions along the east bank of the waterway.
"The great (Mideast) peace process is facing grave dangers because of the policies of the current Israeli government which are merely based on using force to achieve its goals," Mubarak said. He cited attacks on Palestinian civilians, the assassination of wanted activist, demolishing homes, reoccupying cities and towns and besieging Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat as part of those policies.
"I call on all countries, especially the United States, to move to stop this flagrant aggression on the Palestinian people and their leadership to save peace and security in the Middle East," he said.
Mubarak said Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon "does not want a peaceful solution ... I say this frankly and they (the Israelis) will hear it and get angry. But why should they get angry about their own actions?"
On the U.S.-Iraq crisis, Mubarak repeated his call for the Iraqi regime to let the U.N. weapons inspectors work freely and unimpeded so as not to give the United States a pretext for an attack. But he added that if the U.N. Security Council backed a U.S. attack, "then I have nothing in my hands to do, but it will lead to big problems soon."
"We have to work to avoid the strike and at the same time make sure Iraq is free of weapons of mass destruction," he aired. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
