3 - 9 January 2002
Issue No.567
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 3 - 9 January 2002 Issue No.567 |
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Arab coordination
Doha and Cairo consulted on the latest developments in the region during a three-day visit by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani to Egypt. President Hosni Mubarak and Sheikh Hamad met three times in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh soon after the emir arrived last Thursday. The two leaders also discussed the coordination of Arab positions on current events.
Sheikh Hamad visited Cairo on the last leg of a tour that took him to Russia, Turkey, Algeria and Libya. The emir discussed bilateral cooperation, as well as the latest regional and international developments with the leaders of the three Arab countries.
Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher told reporters at a joint news conference with his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Al-Thani, that the heads of state had discussed "the guidelines that should govern the war on terrorism so that it does not affect any Arab country." Speaking after the leaders met, the Qatari foreign minister said that the prospect that the US may extend its war on terrorism to Iraq was worrisome. "Attacking Iraq or any Arab country is unacceptable -- whether before, now or in the future," said Sheikh Hamad.
He said the two countries were in complete agreement on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, maintaining that "we have discovered that the Israelis do not want peace." Maher said that despite their pessimism, Arab countries would continue to mobilise international opinion against Israel and "encourage influential powers, such as the US, to realise that the current Israeli policies are dangerous."
Egypt's perspective
EGYPTIAN officials are expressing concern over the recent escalation of tension between India and Pakistan, reports Soha Abdelaty. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher met with the chargés d'affaires of the two countries in Egypt on Sunday, conveying to them Egypt's views on the situation. "As a friend of both Pakistan and India, we hope they find a method to engage in negotiations, which we find are in the interest of both sides, in order to put an end to the escalation," Maher told reporters after meeting the two diplomats.
Although Egypt is not offering its good offices, both sides conveyed their hope that Egypt would recommend restraint to the other party. "We hope that Pakistan can be advised to behave in a mature way, and to control the terrorist activities that originate on its soil. We do not want mediation, Pakistan knows what is good for it," Suresh Goel, the Indian chargé d'affaires in Egypt, told Al-Ahram Weekly. Similarly, his Pakistani counterpart, Irfan-uz-Rehman told the Weekly, "We would definitely like Egypt and all other friendly countries to pressure India to exercise restraint."
Better ties with Iraq
THE NINTH Egyptian-Iraqi joint committee convened in Baghdad for a three-day meeting to boost trade links. The meeting, which began on Saturday, was co-chaired by Foreign Trade Minister Youssef Boutros Ghali and Iraqi Trade Minister Mohamed Mehdi Saleh. The Egyptian delegation included Public Enterprise Minister Mokhtar Khattab, Industry Minister Ali El- Sa'idi, Minister of Electricity Hassan Younis and a number of businessmen.
"Iraq is keen on boosting economic and trade links with all Arab countries -- primarily Egypt, its number-one Arab trading partner -- within the framework of Baghdad's oil-for-food programme with the United Nations," Saleh said.
Egypt trades with Iraq under an oil-for-food deal between Baghdad and the United Nations. The international organisation has imposed tough sanctions on Iraq since its 1990 invasion of Kuwait.
The deal allows Iraq to export unlimited quantities of oil to buy food, medicine and other humanitarian needs for the Iraqi people, reeling under the impact of the sanctions.
The joint committee was charged with enhancing economic, scientific and cultural cooperation. According to Ghali, Egyptian exports to Iraq were valued at $1.7 billion in 2001.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri recently expressed hope that Egypt, which is currently Iraq's third largest trading partner worldwide, would become its number one trading partner.
A free trade agreement was signed by Baghdad and Cairo in January.
"A clause in the free trade agreement permits other countries to join it. Next year, the Iraqi, Egyptian, Libyan and Syrian heads of government will sign an accord establishing a common market among the four countries," Ghali said.
Ghali said the Egyptian delegation's presence in Iraq was not only intended to strengthen economic relations, but to show the solidarity of the Egyptians with the Iraqi people.
The visit is the latest sign of an improvement in relations between Egypt and Iraq, which had been strained since the Gulf crisis.
Judges sentenced
A CAIRO Criminal Court on Saturday sentenced three judges to prison with hard labour in a bribery case. Judge Abdel-Nasser Mohamed Negmeddin was sentenced to seven years for accepting gifts, including cutlery and a stay in a seaside apartment, in exchange for delaying a case against businessman Ibrahim Fouad Abdel-Gawad, accused of writing a bad cheque worth LE110,000. Judge Salah Youssef Mahran received five years for accepting gifts in return for acting as a go-between for Negmeddin and the businessman. Judge Alaa Yehia, a lawyer and a businessman, received prison terms of three years each, also for acting as middlemen. Abdel-Gawad, accused of proffering the bribes, was set free for having cooperated with investigators.
The court declared that the case did not stain the reputation of the Egyptian judiciary, but rather showed that judges were willing to apply the law to those in their own ranks.
'Long live justice'
ACTRESS Wafaa Mekki was sentenced on 26 December to 10 years in prison with hard labour by the Shebin Al-Kom Criminal Court.
Mekki, who played supporting roles in movies, television series and the theatre, was kneeling inside the barred dock in the courtroom when the decision was handed down. She fell forward, clutching the bars, and looked faint. Relatives of the girls Mekki was convicted of torturing and other people who crowded the court of Shebin Al-Kom cheered and shouted, "Long live justice!"
Mekki and her mother were found guilty of beating and torturing Mekki's two maids, 15-year-old Marwa Abdel-Hamid and her 17-year-old sister, Hanadi. Mekki's mother got a one-year prison sentence with hard labour.
Although the actress had denied the accusations against her, her trial was quick, with a ruling issued in the second court session.
Mekki's ex-husband, Ayman El-Ghazali, her cousin, El-Sayed El-Far, and a friend, Ahmed El-Burai, were each handed out one- year sentences for covering up the crime and for sheltering Mekki to evade police arrest.
Defence lawyers described the sentences as harsh, saying they would appeal. Sources said Marwa's lawyers also plan to file for more compensation.
On again off again
GOING through an acute financial crisis, Al-Yasar, a leftist magazine, will no longer be published, reports Mona El-Nahhas. Al- Yasar first appeared in March 1990 as one of the leftist Tagammu Party's publications.
This is not the first time for Al-Yasar to be closed. It previously ceased publication because of financial difficulties in 1995, 1997 and 2000, according to the magazine's chief editor Hussein Abdel-Raziq. Previously, the magazine managed to find sources of finance through donations and subscriptions. "But this time, it will be very difficult to continue the publication of the magazine after failing to find a way out of the financial crisis."
"Additionally, several members of the editorial board decided to quit and the majority of the leftist writers refrained from contributing to the magazine," Abdel-Raziq said.
Compiled by Shaden Shehab
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