April 18, 2002

Mubarak in an interview with MENA: Situation in the region is extremely dangerous

    In an interview with MENA Editor-in-Chief Mahfouz Al Ansari, President Hosni Mubarak noted that the world was now going through a state or stage of unreason marked by many contradictions and, rapid developments.

    "We are living in a unipolar age. The world now sees radical changes in alliances and blocs. The world lives the age of economic mergers of giant companies and corporations, and lives an age of imbalances in power relations," Mubarak said when asked about his assessment of today's world.

    ''The world is suffering from a state of schizophrenia where there is a lot of talking about democracy and human rights, while violations of human rights and the basic democratic principles are taking place in front of everyone...We have to realise that we are living in a world in which cards are being mixed as much as interests are blended," Mubarak added.

    Asked whether the fact that some countries have come to resort to war instead of negotiations to settle their problems was an evidence of irrationality, Mubarak said one of the main causes of violence was the lack of justice.

    "Injustice, in turn, leads to despair and frustration and when people reach this state, they do unreasonable and unbelievable things," Mubarak noted.

    Citing the situation in the Palestinian territories, Mubarak said no one can stop suicide bombers except through sitting back at the negotiating table and giving Palestinians their rights.

    The President said he told US Secretary of State Colin Powell that "No one should think the Jerusalem bombing will be the last.

    We have to deal with the root cause of the problem, to stem the despair and frustration felt by people - to head to the negotiating table - and start anew to build bridges of confidence".