10 - 16 May 2001
Issue No.533
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 10 - 16 May 2001 Issue No.533 |
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Al-Bashir visit rescheduled
SUDANESE President Omar Al-Bashir's visit to Egypt, originally scheduled for Monday, has been rescheduled to 13 May. No specific reason were given for the delay, but it was said that the postponement was agreed on following consultations between Cairo and Khartoum.
President Hosni Mubarak's talks with Al-Bashir are expected to focus on bilateral ties and the Egyptian-Libyan initiative to end the 18-year civil war in Sudan. Relations between Egypt and Sudan, once sour over Khartoum's support for militant Islamist groups in Egypt, have warmed recently and the two countries are planning several agreements to boost economic ties.
At the same time, Cairo and Tripoli have co-sponsored a peace initiative to reconcile the tangle of conflicts between the Sudanese government, the opposition and rebel groups in southern Sudan. The East African Inter-governmental Authority for Development (IGAD) is sponsoring a parallel effort.
MFO here to stay
ARTHUR Hughes, who heads the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) deployed along the Egyptian-Israeli border in Sinai, was in Cairo this week meeting with Foreign Minister Amr Moussa, reports Tarek Atia. Hughes told reporters after the meeting that there was "no decision on the withdrawal of US troops," from the multinational force.
Hughes said the idea of reducing the number of American troops in the MFO, which was put forward during President Hosni Mubarak's last visit to Washington, was part of an overall effort by the new US administration to review commitments of US troops worldwide. He said that US President George W Bush "would not do anything that would create instability, or show [the US to be] walking away from any commitments with any of its partners."
In his remarks, Hughes said he was "confident that American commitment to the MFO will continue in the future," and that the review process was the obligation of every new administration. "I believe that the administration will reach the conclusion that a continuing full commitment to, and participation in, the MFO is important for American interests and for the interest of all its partners in this part of the world."
Hughes also categorically denied Israeli claims that American troops in Sinai were at risk of terrorist attacks, saying, "We work very closely with the Egyptian authorities, since we are in Egypt. ... We're not subject to terrorist attacks ... we don't expect to be either." Hughes confirmed that American soldiers in the MFO are both "proud and happy to have served in the MFO, and to have had the experience of living in Egypt."
Egyptian-Saudi exercise
THE SECOND joint air exercise by the Egyptian and Saudi Air Forces, Feisal-2, came to an end in Saudi Arabia yesterday. The exercise brought together Egyptian and Saudi jet fighters for joint training in Saudi airspace for the past 10 days. The first air exercise took place last year in Egyptian airspace and it is expected to be held annually, in rotation between the two countries.
Saudi Deputy Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Sultan told the press that the exercise was beneficial for both sides, making it possible for them to unify concepts and basic training, as well as exchange experience in the quest of optimal performance.
Pressing solidarity
THE PRESS Syndicate issued a statement on Saturday denouncing Israeli criticism of the Egyptian press. "The campaign launched by Israel against Egyptian journalists will not dissuade [local journalists] from carrying out their duties against Israeli aggression and from standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people," the statement said.
The Israeli ambassador to Egypt, Zvi Mazel, had sent the Foreign Ministry an official protest over a caricature published by the weekly newspaper Al-Arabi, mouthpiece of the Nasserist Party, showing Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres dressed as a Nazi. Mazel accused the newspaper of inciting people against Israel and demanded an apology from the editors -- a demand which was viewed as a joke by Al-Arabi.
Hidden danger
THE GRAVE consequences of land mines buried in the Western Desert topped the agenda of the National Conference on the Development of the Egyptian Northwest Coast, which opened on Sunday, Dena Rashed reports. For the last 50 years, Egypt has been hampered in its efforts to build up the Northwest Coast by the existence of an estimated 17.5 million land mines planted in the area.
The conference aimed at coordinating efforts of governmental and non-governmental bodies to come up with plans on how to deal with the land mine problem. At the inauguration of the conference, Prime Minister Atef Ebeid urged the concerned governments to provide Egypt with maps of land mine locations to assist in their removal.
IT optimism
A NEW poll released in Cairo and New York showed optimism about the future of information technology ventures in the Arab world, despite the region's underdeveloped IT facilities. The poll, which was conducted by Zogby/Artoc Research and Development, sampled 210 participants at the Arab Information Technology Conference in Cairo in March.
A solid majority (57 per cent) told pollsters that the prospects for IT development are very good, with only 13 per cent responding negatively. Some 55 per cent of those polled expressed confidence in the possibilities of a regional economic market, while 38 per cent were pessimistic. Asked about the chief strengths possessed by Arab countries that could enhance their development of information technology, 30 per cent cited "human resources and trained personnel." The conference attendees, however, gave current IT efforts in the Arab world low marks. Topping the list of chief weaknesses were "lack of technical know-how" (10 per cent); "lack of planning strategy" (16 per cent); and "lack of Arab cooperation and unity" (10 per cent).
Bad girls
Thirteen girls, aged 15 to 17, drew knives and fought each other with chains in an unusual outburst of violence in a school just north of Cairo last Thursday. The reason for the fight is not certain, but one popular rumour was that the showdown was over a young man in a nearby school. Not to underestimate what extremes youthful love can drive people to, another story gives a more banal reason: that the girls were racing down the school stairs, and some, being bad losers, started the fight.
Police intervened and arrested eight of the girls, who were later expelled. The others were suspended for one week.
Compiled by Shaden Shehab
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