 |
|
“We
continue to demand, with insistence, that the same norms be
applied to Israel”
|
CAIRO,
November 17 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Egyptian President
Hosni Mubarak demanded at the opening of the new session of
parliament Saturday, November 17, that Israel’s weapons of mass
destruction be submitted to the same U.N. inspections being imposed on
Iraq.
The
Egyptian leader also warned against any attempts to exploit the
U.S.-led war against terrorism to change regimes by force.
“We
continue to demand, with insistence, that the same norms be applied to
Israel to get rid of all its weapons of mass destruction potential,”
Mubarak said
to sustained applause from lawmakers.
Such
a move would “consolidate the international movement toward the
banning of the proliferation of these weapons, because of their danger
for all humanity,” he said.
He
also stressed the necessity of “opposing campaigns being conducted
by certain parties to exploit the international campaign against
terrorism with the aim of bringing about economic benefits or changing
leaders and regimes by force,” without naming any countries.
He
added that this would lead to increase in the world’s disintegration
and will instill feelings of animosity and frustrations.
Mubarak
also stressed the importance of unifying the Arab world, politically
and economically and to consolidate the vital role played by the Arab
League against the international pressures placed on the Arab world.
He
also stressed the importance of projecting the traditional cultural
and religious and social values of the Arab world, as well as the
importance of defending it in the face of vicious campaigns.
Mubarak
has urged Iraq, which faces a threat of U.S.-led military action if it
does not end banned weapons programs, to accept U.N. Security Council
Resolution 1441 to avert a war which would likely topple its
government.
But
Israel is also widely believed to possess weapons of mass destruction,
including an arsenal of nuclear missiles, although it has never
formally admitted to them.
On
Saturday, an Israeli newspaper, Ha’aretz, quoted a State
Department official saying that the U.S. is reviewing all its aid to
the Arab world to see how much it can redirect to programs that
“promote democracy and the rule of law.”
According
to the paper, the official who wanted to remain anonymous, said that
the review includes all assistance to Egypt, the second largest
recipient of U.S. aid after Israel and one of Washington’s best
friends in the Arab world, he said.
“As
part of a U.S. Middle East Partnership Initiative, we are currently in
the process of conducting a complete review of all our assistance
programs in the Arab world, including Egypt,” said the official, Ha’aretz
reported.
Egypt
receives about $1.9 billion a year in U.S. aid - roughly unchanged
since the late 1970s, when late Egyptian president Anwar Sadat signed
a peace treaty with Israel, the paper added.
