Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is reportedly scheduled to visit Washington late March during which time, in the words of an Egyptian parliamentarian, the seemingly tense relationship will be âthoroughly reviewed within the framework of a comprehensive program for strategic cooperationâ that is scheduled to be unveiled at the time. Deputy Mamdouh Abdel Razek, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Egyptian Peoples Assembly, revealed the upcoming plans before a packed audience in a House of Representatives conference room on Monday. âThis type of continuing consultations on issues of strategy and basic policies,â he said, âwould put US-Egyptian partnership at the level that befits what is often described as a special relationship.â He said that this was the âbest way to galvanize a relationship (and) save it (from) the ups and downs of surprises and misunderstandings, particularly now, in the wake of the war in Iraq and the difficulties facing the âroad mapâ for realizing peace between the Palestinians and Israelis.â This was the only reference made during the two-hour panel discussion to the US-led occupation of Iraq, which Egypt opposed, and to the steps advocated by the US and European powers for achieving a step-by-step settlement between Israel and the Palestinians.
Abdel Razek was one of a three-man Egyptian delegation who took part in the briefing sponsored by the Middle East Institute, a Washington-based think-tank, and held at Rayburn House office building which allowed several Congressional aides, among others, to attend. The other speakers were Seifallah Fahmy, a member of the political committee of the majority National Democratic Party and one of the founders of Egyptâs International Economic Forum, and Mohammed Maged, an Egyptian banker. The panel discussion focused on political and economic reform in Egypt and, as the announcement read, âhow can US policy positively affect change in Egypt?â
| My guess is "minimally." What's yours? |
The Egyptians underlined that reform has to come from within. âIt cannot be dictated to us from elsewhere,â said Fahmy. âWe can receive advice. We should receive advice from friends, but we are very sensitive as people. We are Egyptians, we have pride.â
| "We're wallowing in pride. We got pride oozing from every pore. Now, if we just had a pot to piss in..." |
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