Submit your comments on this article | |
Syria-Lebanon-Iran | |
IRGC Deputy commander confirms Iran's major general did not visit Egypt | |
2013-01-15 | |
Last week, Al Ahram reported that the Egyptian presidency has strongly denied a UK newspaper claim that the president's assistant for foreign relations met a senior Iranian intelligence official in Cairo. The Times newspaper said on 8 January 2013 that the two met while Suleimani was in Cairo for two days. The office of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi's assistant for foreign affairs, Essam El-Haddad responded robustly, pointing to "the inaccuracy of the whole story" and categorically denying "these fabrications." The Times report described the aim of the claimed visit as "sending a message to America." El-Haddad expressed anger at the report. He said in an official statement Friday, issued through the Egyptian Embassy in London, that Mr Suleimani never entered Egypt. "We are concerned that a respectable news outlet such as The Times would fail to uphold basic journalistic standards. The Times chose not to solicit a reaction from the [Egyptian] presidency, Dr El-Haddad's office or the Foreign Ministry," the statement went on to say. The Times claimed that the Iranian security official visited Egypt just after Christmas. | |
Posted by:Steve White |