US provocations

By Salama A Salama

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The way the US administration is acting suggests that it has either run out of patience or wants to set the region in fire in order to achieve what it failed to accomplish with the Iraq war. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who has just met Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul- Gheit, used the occasion to issue a warning, not to discuss strategic cooperation and turn over a new leaf in bilateral ties. Speaking at a joint news conference with her Egyptian counterpart, Rice said that the US administration is deeply concerned over the Ayman Nour case. The US secretary called for the case, which she said was of utmost importance to the administration, Congress and the American people, to be resolved in the very near future.

This is, of course, an outrageous exaggeration. The American people know nothing about political life in Egypt. US congressmen may know all there is to know about Israel, but not Egypt. Yet it seems that interest in Nour's case has overshadowed other Middle Eastern issues, including Israel's tardiness in the implementation of pledges made in Sharm El-Sheikh. Rice didn't want to say anything that could anger Israel and hints were made that US secretary of state may not attend the G8- Arab conference to discuss political and economic reform in the region. The conference was originally a US idea which Egypt supported out of courtesy to the Americans.

Egypt's overtures did little to placate Washington's fervour or tone down its posturing over freedom and democracy. Then Al- Hariri was assassinated and the US administration took the opportunity to clobber Damascus. President Bush called for the immediate withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon. Rumsfeld and Rice blamed the Syrians, even though there is no evidence of Syrian involvement in the assassination of the former prime minister. The Americans keep hinting that force may be used against Iran and Syria.

The Egyptian reaction to such US provocation was timid to say the least. The NDP gave the opposition parties the cue to issue a statement denouncing foreign intervention in political reform without naming the source of any such intervention. This is hardly an adequate response. Such a statement should have been issued by the People's Assembly. It should have named names and left no one in any doubt as to where Egypt stands.

US meddling has changed the domestic dynamic with regards to the Nour affair, which everyone agreed should come to an early solution. US meddling has also disrupted the rhythm of political reform, dampening the opposition's resolve. As things stand, domestic dialogue in this country has gone back to square one, with agreement having been reached on amending the constitution but only after the coming elections; that is, in another year and under a new People's Assembly.

Washington's provocations are a public expression of the thinking of Bush and his administration. For all the occasional bouts of moderate rhetoric, pre-emptive strikes and gunboat diplomacy form the essence of this thinking. It did not take much for the mask of moderation to be dropped. The US has learned little from the horror it unleashed in Iraq. A day hardly passes without threats of military strikes being made against Iran's nuclear installations. And we can no longer rule anything out.