Opening channels
Sorour was bullish about his recent visit to the US, reports Gamal Essam El-Din
Parliamentary Speaker Fathi Sorour said on Monday that his visit to the United States, during which he met with US Vice-President Dick Cheney, Speaker of the House of Representatives Nanci Pelosi, and the leaders of both the Democrats and Republicans in Congress, had been a success. Sorour also met with leaders of Arab and Jewish organisations and delivered a lecture at the Washington Press Club on democratic reform in Egypt.
"During their meetings," said Sorour, "the Egyptian parliamentary delegation was able to open channels of communication with Congress leaders." Sorour's only regret was that his visit to the US had not taken place earlier. "Arab countries have delayed initiating any kind of dialogue with Congress for too long, leaving the arena open to Jewish and Israeli organisations."
Sorour said he intended to invite the People's Assembly's Foreign and Arab Relations and National Defence Committees to a meeting "where I will brief them about my visit to the US... and the questions that Americans have about events in Egypt and the Arab world".
Sorour's visit to the US attracted criticism in Egypt. Speaking on the international aspects of terrorism before the American Association for Law he attacked Ayman Nour, the Ghad Party leader currently serving five years in jail. Sorour told his audience Nour had a long record of engaging in forgery. "He forged documents to obtain a licence for his party and in the 1980s he was implicated in faking photographs in a bid to demonstrate that Egypt's prisons habitually torture inmates. Nour is an inveterate forger."
Sorour was also quoted as saying that in spite of his crimes Nour had been able to win the sympathy of human rights organisations that regularly depict him as "a victim of tyranny". He further argued that Nour came second to President Hosni Mubarak in the 2005 presidential elections only because he enjoyed the support of the Muslim Brotherhood. Sorour also criticised Nour's wife, Gamila Ismail, claiming she was behind the campaign of disinformation about her husband in the American media. "The day will soon come when you recognise what a deceitful person she is," he said.
Sorour's remarks were met with dismay by Nour and his wife. Nour said on Monday Sorour had instigated the plot that ended with his imprisonment. "The conspiracy began in Fathi Sorour's house in Garden City and he was the prime mover," claimed Nour, who dismissed reports that he intended to file a case, saying he had no intention of entangling himself in a legal battle against Sorour.
During his visit Sorour answered questions on political conditions in Egypt and the current war between Israel and Hamas. Asked by former US presidential Democratic candidate John Kerry who would be the next president of Egypt Sorour said he had no idea. Further questioned by Kerry about social tensions and rising unemployment, Sorour said the Egyptian government "provides training for young people and helps them find real jobs in a free market".
Sorour told his American audience that Egypt was working hard to stem the flow of weapon smuggling from Sinai into Gaza, saying that "smuggling represents a serious threat to Egyptian national security". He also explained that Egypt is currently engaged in brokering a truce between Israel and Hamas in a bid to resume peace negotiations.
On domestic issues, Sorour insisted Egypt's battle against terrorism had been successful. "Right now," he said, "the government is in the process of drafting an anti- terror law that will put an end to the state of emergency." The new law, he continued, was being carefully drafted so as not to negatively impact on human rights of public freedoms. "The new law will strike a balance between safeguarding national security and public freedom and human rights."
Al-Ahram Weekly Online : Located at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2008/888/eg3.htm