President Hosni Mubarak said
that a Palestinian state neighbouring an Israeli state is the best
guarantee for the securiy of the people on both sides.
In an
interview with ED Bradley of the CBS Network aired on June 10,
President Mubarak called on stopping building more settlements in the
W. Bank, which he described as ticking time bombs. President Mubarak
told ED Bradley that he would like to see Arafat with the tools to run
an effective government; a government that provides services for its
people and that has a unified security force that can control the
various Palestinian factions. Following is the text of the interview:
ED
Bradley:
Is peace possible without Mr. Arafat?
Mubarak:
Look, it is not Mr. Arafat or others. It is the people themselves. We
are working on a plan of reforms in the Palestinian Authority and
Arafat has to do much more than that.
ED
Bradley:
He has to do more than he's done.
Mubarak:
Yes, He's started the reforms. We are pushing him to make much more
reforms. For the sake of the people.
Bradley:
The Head of Egypt's intelligence service delivered that message to
Arafat in person last week. The day before- Prime Minister Sharon met
with Mubarak's top Political advisor. It's all part of an Egyptian
diplomatic offensive to restart a dialogue between the Palestinian's
and the Israelis.They have to have political dialogue.
Bradley:
ED
Bradley: But that doesn't exist now.
Mubarak:
Doesn't exist because Sharon doesn't like Arafat. Arafat doesn't trust
Sharon. That's a problem. But anyway, Arafat is democratically elected
from his people. We cannot just tell him to go away.
ED
Bradley:
Is there a better leader than Mr. Arafat?
Mubarak:
I cannot foretell about that. There are so many people there, but we
didn't check them as to be leaders of a takeover. No. But I think for
the time being that I think Arafat should be given a chance. And after
that, if he delivers, okay. If he doesn't deliver, the people will
tell him we're going to elect somebody else.
ED
Bradley:
You made that position clear to President Bush?
Mubarak:
Yes. It's very clear to him and in my statement also.
Bradley:
And- and do you think then that President Bush agrees with you.
Mubarak:
I think he understood what I meant by this.
Bradley:
So he understands what you mean.
Mubarak:
Yes.
Bradley:
But do you think he is prepared to say to Prime Minster Sharon that
you have to negotiate with Arafat.
Mubarak:
I cannot enforce anything on Mr. Sharon. He has to explain to him that
we should give a chance to Arafat. Of course, Sharon will say no, but
we have to find something to solve this formula. Otherwise, we'll be
in a mess.
Bradley:
It will be worse.
Mubarak:
Much more worse and maybe much more serious.
ED BRADLEY
You think that there has to be a Palestinian state? Has President Bush
has called for the establishment of a Palestinian state?
Mubarak
Look, a Palestinian state beside an Israeli state is the best
guarantee for the security of the people on both sides.
Edit
BRADLEY:
If there is to be a Palestinian state, what happens to the 200 Israeli
settlements and the more than 200,000 Israeli settlers who now live on
the West Bank?
However
that seems highly unlikely. Since Ariel Sharon has been Prime Minister
Israeli settlements have increased by 40 percent.
Mubarak:
They should stop building more settlements because I consider it to be
a time bomb because the people- -the Palestinian people will never
accept to see that their land is occupied and built on by foreigners
coming from outside the area.
BRADLEY:
As you look at American policy in the Middle East, do you think that
the United States has been even-handed in its policy?
Mubarak:
Not to that extent. Not even-handed.
ED
Bradley:
Mr. President, let me ask you about how we are viewed, Americans, in
your country. I was in Cairo just after September 11th and I was
amazed by the number of people who said that those attacks against the
World Trade Center showed that America was no longer invincible. And
there were some who said that America got what it deserved. Why are we
so hated in parts of the Arab world?
Mubarak:
You know, there came a time when the people felt injustice by the
United States, especially between Israel and the Palestinians. As you
know, the people had sympathized with the Palestinian people. They
created hell of hatred about that. So I spoke with the President,
look, we have to do- - you have to do something to make the people
feel that the United States is not biased. It's not taking one side.
It's trying to do as much as it can. I know the United States has very
good relation with Israel, but at the same time they have friends in
the Arab world: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and others. So this was the main
reason why the people have some hate towards the United States.
BRADLEY:
Do you think that more attacks against the United States are
inevitable?
Mubarak:
Look- - attacks are expected not only against the United States. We
suffered much from attacks from terrorists. With the present situation
in the whole world, I think you cannot say that no more attacks are
going to take place. It would happen.
Bradley :
Could Arafat control the various Palestinian factions like Hamas?
Mubarak:
For the time being, I don't think that he is capable to control
anybody because he's weakened. That's why we have to strengthen him.
Hamas, sometimes they accept the cease-fire that Arafat says. Other
times, they refuse to respond to Arafat.
Bradley:
When you've talked with Chairman Arafat many times, have you ever
talked with him about his opinion about suicide bombers?
Mubarak:
I spoke with him several times.But most of this, Arafat doesn't know,
to be very fair.
Bradley:
He doesn't know that he doesn't control that.
Mubarak:
He cannot control it because it's very difficult. And the people feel
desperate. Their land is occupied again. The land, the area is
completely under the control of the Israelis. They have been like
under siege, so what do you expect from them? We have to do something
for them so as to make the people feel that they are human beings.
Bradley:
Mr. President, I know that you were opposed to the killing of innocent
civilians in the Middle East.
Mubarak:
Yes.
Bradley:
How would you stop the suicide bombers?
Mubarak:
Give hope to the people. Those who make suicide bombs, they are
desperate. They cannot see any future. They have no work. They cannot
feed their children. They cannot send their children to school.
They
cannot go to hospital.
They are not working.
Bradley:
What advice did you give--what opinion did you give to President Bush
about dealing with Saddam Hussein?
Mubarak :
Saddam Hussein, I think to use force aginst him will not be convenient
in this period.
If force
is used it may cause hell of Problems in all the Arab world,
especially the friends of the United States.
Bradly:
Problems for the allies of the United States in the Arab world if
President Bush tries to topple Saddam Hussein.
Mubarak :
If he tried to use the force against him by enemies, but I think
Saddam Hussein now has to comply with the U.N. resolution and to
accept the inspectors to go there so as to bring an end to this
Problem.
Bradly:
You think that's possible.
Mubarak :
That's possible for sure. |
