Working with the new order
Cairo adapts to the region's volatile strategic situation, reports Soha Abdelaty, by pushing the roadmap forward, and meeting with Iraq's potential leaders
Egyptian foreign policy planners have made it clear that supporting the new Palestinian prime minister and his cabinet, as well as opening diplomatic channels with future Iraqi leaders, are Cairo's current priorities.
With US Secretary of State Colin Powell set to arrive in the region this weekend, and scheduled to stop in Egypt on Monday, the immediate focus will be on finding ways to bring Palestinians and Israelis back to the negotiating table, so that the new roadmap to peace can move forward.
Powell will come with his own ideas on how Cairo can assist in the roadmap's implementation, diplomatic sources confirmed. Washington and other international allies want to see Cairo continue to pursue a cease- fire agreement among the Palestinian factions. "It's obviously going to be very important to have an atmosphere of calm and growing confidence between the Palestinians and Israelis," British Ambassador John Sawers told reporters on Saturday after meeting with Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher. "That's what we all have to do and Egyptian authorities have been closely involved in that."
Egypt is currently consulting on hosting additional talks between some 12 Palestinian factions as a continuation of the dialogue that began several months ago. The last round took place in January but failed to reach an agreement between the different factions. "We are always ready to assist in a constructive dialogue between all the Palestinian groups," Maher said.
Since the US will be asking for as much support as possible for newly elected Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas's (Abu Mazen) efforts to rein in attacks by Palestinian groups, Cairo says Washington should -- in return -- place a great deal of pressure on Israel to better the humanitarian situation in the occupied territories, as well as end the siege on President Yasser Arafat.
On Saturday Maher indicated that the Americans were providing assurances that the roadmap's obligations had to be "scrupulously implemented" by all parties. "This is a very important confirmation," Maher said, "since Israel is trying to renege on its obligations." The Israelis -- not just the Palestinians -- will be expected to cease all acts of violence, he added.
Meanwhile, senior sources told Mahmoud Mourad that Cairo wants the roadmap to be implemented as soon as possible, despite the fact that Israel has not fully agreed to all its clauses. "The roadmap is ready for application," the source said. "It is not up for debate, [even though] the Israeli government looks like it wants to procrastinate." The sources added that -- in accordance with the roadmap -- the Palestinians have already taken significant steps towards reform.
Regarding the region's other volatile issue, the source indicated that Egypt plans on emphasising to Powell the need for expediency in restoring law and order in Iraq, as well as holding democratic elections meant to hand power over to the Iraqis. Cairo insists that Iraq's "sovereignty and unity are preserved, and that all Iraqis have equal rights regardless of their ethnicity or creed", the official said.
Other diplomatic sources told Al-Ahram Weekly that Powell would be coming to Cairo with a list of assurances, rather than demands, regarding Iraq. Meeting with President Hosni Mubarak and Maher, he will discuss US President George W Bush's intention to withdraw from Iraq as soon as possible, and to allow the Iraqis to set up their own government. These sources added that Powell would be assuring Cairo that the unity of Iraq is a priority for Washington. "Our objective, when it is appropriate, is to restore this nation, whole, sovereign, united, to its people," stressed US Ambassador to Cairo David Welch on Saturday. "We don't want to be there a day longer than necessary."
The issue of Iraqi unity actually came into the forefront this week after American officials announced the US's intention to divide Iraq into three regions, to be overseen by various foreign governments. All the interested parties -- including Iraqis, Americans, Britons, and Egyptians -- were quick to point out, however, that the division was only being implemented for military and practical reasons, and not as a permanent arrangement.
Egyptian officials, meanwhile, have been establishing contacts with prominent Iraqi leaders who are likely to be part of the soon- to-be-established Iraqi interim government. On Saturday, Maher met with a delegation from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) headed by Borhami Saleh. On Monday he consulted with Ibrahim Hamoudi, the political adviser to the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution (SCIR), the Shi'ite group that Egypt was in touch with even before the toppling of Saddam Hussein's regime.
Representatives of the PUK and SCIR were critical of Arab countries for abandoning the Iraqi people while they suffered under Saddam Hussein's regime. But according to Hamoudi, now is the time to make up for this injustice, and support the Iraqi people. The SCIR's delegation reassured Cairo that they have no plans to set up a regime in Iraq that was based on the Iranian model. "The Iranian model does not suit Iraq," Hamoudi said. A regime based on "a multi-ethnic democratic system" would be much more appropriate.
Two weeks ago, Maher also met members of the Independent Iraqis for Democracy group. Thus far, however, there are no plans to invite Ahmed Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress to Egypt. In any case, the meetings are an opportunity for Cairo to gain and provide insight on the composition and political inclinations of the new Iraqi government. The Iraqi players view these meetings as an opportunity to re-integrate Iraq back into the Arab and Muslim fold, with Egypt as the gateway to that end. "We expect Egypt to play a role every step of the way, to support the interim government and open doors for us with other Arab countries," said Hamoudi. Saleh had said much the same thing two days earlier, telling reporters that "Egypt has a prominent presence in international forums," and is a political and strategic heavy-weight.
Saleh and Hamoudi expressed their hopes that Egypt would attend the upcoming Iraqi national conference where the interim government is expected to be elected. But Cairo has thus far refused to play a role in the interim government's set-up, and Maher has also dismissed any possibility of Egypt hosting a dialogue amongst the different Iraqi groups.
