EGYPT: Pulling US troops out of Iraq at the present time would only create "more violence, havoc and chaos", Egyptian foreign minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said on an official visit to Dublin yesterday.
"The important thing now is to create an environment conducive to reaching a comprehensive settlement."
The insurgency in Iraq was no longer focused solely on the presence of foreign troops, there was also competition and jockeying for power among different Iraqi factions, he told The Irish Times. Iraqis should resolve their differences at a conference supported by the international community.
Mr Aboul Gheit's visit, the first by an Egyptian foreign minister since 1982, coincided with the resumption of the lucrative Irish beef export trade with his country which had been halted for five years as a result of the BSE crisis.
Explaining the length of time it had taken to lift the ban, the minister stressed there was no question of "targeting" this country. "The Egyptians are very sensitive when it comes to anything in relation to food."
Commenting on the aftermath of the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, he said there were still a number of important unresolved issues, such as the free movement of Palestinian people and goods in and out of Gaza, whether to Egypt, Israel, the West Bank or elsewhere.
There was also the question of reopening Gaza airport. "We will not allow Gaza to be a prison," he said. "Gaza has to be a model."
The Palestinian infrastructure had to be upgraded and the Palestinian economy needed to be revived so that job opportunities could be created.
Mr Aboul Gheit expressed concern over clashes between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. "We hope that they can work together. Egypt is trying to bring them together all the time, to reconcile their differences."
There should be no question of conflict between the two sides: "This is a red line the Palestinians should not cross." Whereas Israelis might wish to halt any further movement after the Gaza withdrawal and allow the West Bank to stagnate, this would not be tolerated by the international community.
On Egypt's internal affairs and the holding of elections for the presidency and the parliament, he said a "deeper democratisation process has taken hold".
He rejected reports by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International alleging widespread human rights abuses and torture.
These organisations should come and see for themselves. "I think they are mostly biased reports." Egypt had been forced to confront terrorists who were trying to bring down the State.
Even "the most permissive" countries in Europe now realised that "strict laws" were needed to quell terrorism.
At the same time, the root causes of terrorism had to be identified. "The Western world rejects the idea of searching for the root causes." It was not just a question of religious fanaticism, there were political considerations as well.
The political problems of the Middle East had generated feelings of despair and the Arab and Muslim world felt subjugated by the West.