Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, March 14 (IslamOnline) - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak pushed for non-military action against Saddam Hussein if the latter did not allow UN inspectors in. The Egyptian stance was stated clearly during the joint press conference between Mubarak and U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney Wednesday, March 13 in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh.

"It is of vital importance to maintain the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq, this is a must for preserving regional stability," Mubarak said in a press conference.

Mubarak reiterated that all possible efforts should be exerted to implement UN resolutions without inflicting more suffering on the Iraqi people.

He expressed his optimism concerning the acceptance of Iraq on the issue of UN inspectors, but refused the ousting of Saddam if the latter did not agree on the return of UN inspectors.

""We’ll try hard with Saddam Hussein to accept UN inspectors go there," Mubarak said, "I think from my knowledge that he’s going to accept the inspectors."

"We’ll try in this direction as far as we can," Mubarak added, "then after that if nothing happens we’ll find out what could be done in that direction."

Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney has told American troops in Egypt to prepare for the second phase of the "war against terrorism."

U.S. President George W. Bush announced the "second phase" of his war against terrorism on Monday, March 11 - the six-month anniversary of the September 11 attacks - and Cheney carried the message to Egypt, the latest stop on his 10-nation mission.

Cheney is travelling around the Middle East trying to get Arab support for any strike against the regime in Baghdad as well as addressing Israeli-Palestinian issues.

"Our next objective is to prevent terrorists and regimes that sponsor terror from threatening America or our friends and allies with weapons of mass destruction," BBC quoted Cheney telling the U.S. troops gathered at Sharm el-Sheikh.

Iraq is firmly in U.S. sights after Bush put it in his widely criticized list of "axis of evil" countries, and with Saddam Hussein's continued refusal to meet United Nations demands for weapons inspections.

The deteriorating situation in the Middle East was also on Cheney's agenda. Cheney put the burden on both sides the Palestinian and the Israelis to end what he called violence and make progress toward the implementation of Mitchell and Tenet proposal.

U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney stressed that the U.S. vision of peace in the Middle East is based on the establishment of the Palestinian homeland. "We affirm that our vision for the Palestinians and the Israelis is [for them] to reside with one another." Cheney said. "The U.S. vision in that part of the world includes that of a Palestinian homeland".

Mubarak criticized Israel and its continuing aggression on the areas supposedly controlled by the Palestinian authority, calling on the Palestinian to exert maximum restraint.

"As Palestinians are expected to exert maximum restraint possible," Mubarak said, "Israel must understand that the policy of collective punishment demolition of homes and its current military offensive in civilian town can not be tolerated."