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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Egypt visit was apparently about Iraq not Gaza pullout |
| 2004-04-15 |
| QUESTION: High-level academics and ex-U.S. diplomats have said during a forum that was held by the Egyptian-American Council on the Relations of the Egyptian-American Council, they said that they predicted that the United States was going to use its partnership with Egypt during Mr. Mubarak’s visit in order to employ that partnership to have Egypt contribute in helping the new Iraqi government develop a new system and trainings for the military, Iraqi military, and security people there. And they indicated that the recognition of Egypt of the new Iraqi government is very essential for the United States in order to give legitimacy to the new government in Iraq. Is that the United States position? And what has the United States asked Mr. Mubarak to present, you know, for Egypt to give? What kind of help did you ask them? MR. BOUCHER: I think the first part of your question I can only answer in a general way. I think the Egyptians will have to answer what their capabilities might be, what their willingness might be, to take on certain tasks. But, certainly, we encouraged Egypt and any other governments in the region or elsewhere to try to get involved in helping, as best they can and in ways that they can, in the reconstruction of Iraq. We’d certainly welcome such a role and we work with a great number of countries who do work in Iraq already. As far as the other part of your question -- what was the other part of your question? QUESTION: What kind of help did the United States ask Mr. Mubarak to --? MR. BOUCHER: No, that was the first part of your question. QUESTION: You asked them to recognize -- MR. BOUCHER: Oh, recognition for Iraqi interim government, certainly, that is important to us. As we have worked very hard with the Iraqi Governing Council to get its acceptance in the Arab League and the Islamic Conference to have representatives of Iraq be able to appear at the United Nations, it certainly is important to us to have the world recognize and work with the Iraqi interim government as the sovereign government of Iraq responsible for running the day-to-day affairs in Iraq after June 30th. And I think, one of the things I noted at the press conference this morning by Ambassador Brahimi, was he said that the UN would be looking forward to engaging with the interim government as the legitimate government of the state of Iraq, and we would hope that everybody would be willing to do that as well. |
| Posted by:Super Hose |