April  23, 2003

That day, April 25th, 1982 represents a great national value to the history of national struggle, as it embodies the determination by every Egyptian citizen to restore every inch of the national soil.

    On this memorable day, the Egyptians could regain their pride of a great homeland as well as a surging joy that washed away the back-breaking gloom of fifteen years of occuption since the June 1967 defeat.

    On that glorious day, the Egyptians could bring back to life a bright face, shining with self-confidence and a sense of pride in their sons and the Armed Forces personnel who watered with their dear blood every spot of Sinai.

    In October 1973, they consummated a glorious victory, thereby imposing a new status quo in the Middle East region, offseting the set-back, redressing the balance of power and crowning a valiant Egyptian struggle for land and integrity.

    The decisive victory scored by the Egyptian Armed Forces in the victorious October battles underscored Egypt's national will and resolve to expell the occupation force away from its territory.

    In the same time, the precious sacrifices inspired the Egyptian people to affirm to the whole world that the Egyptians, being fully determined to defend every inch of their sacred national soil, would never accept a fait accompli .

    In a new episode of a legal conflict not less paramount in terms of good performance and planning, Egyptian minds and experiences joined forces to win the battle of Taba; thus crowning the great feat of the crossing of the Suez Canal with a grand legal victory.

    Accordingly, proper standards of international legitimacy were bolestered and just peace was well-grounded on sound foundations, whereby national territories are protected and aggressors are not precluded from reaping the fruits of their aggression.

    Greetings to all the heroes of our Armed Forces, who both as excellent planners and excellent performers could ,with their brave fighting, make up for the shortage of weapons and could, nevertheless score a decisive victory that astounded the whole world and changed all facts.

    Tribute to our loyal martyrs whose sacred souls flutter high above a homeland that has fully restored all its borders and every inch of its soil.

    Greetings to the struggle of a great people, who refused to live up with aggression, insisted to liberate their land regardless of any sacrifices and courageously supported their armed forces, thus making together and thereby a memorable story of struggle.

    Brothers and Sisters, Although the events taking place in Iraq these days cause much agony and pain, yet they give many a significant lesson to be learned.

    We have frequently warned against the dangers of an unequal war, but unfortunately, our advice and cautioning passed unheeded.

    Thus, there came the war with its destructive effects not only on Iraq, but also on the Middle East region and the world at large.

    Now that the military hostilities have ceased, the best we can hope is to seek to assist the people of Iraq as much as we can and to join forces with our Arab brothers and the whole world to eliminate as soon as possible the traces of this war.

    We urge all the coalition parties to speed up the provision of elements for the security and stability to the Iraqi people.

    We warn against the dangers of spreading anarchy and human tragedies caused as a result of military hostilities. We emphasize the need for concerted efforts by the international community to speed up formation of a legitimate, Iraqi-chosen government, representative of all their orientations and trends.

    We also emphasize the need to put an end to occupation and to withdraw as soon as possible the invasion forces, in order to keep the unity of Iraq as well as the security and safety of the Iraqi people. All this should be effected in such a way that guarantees a pivotal role for the UN in reconstructing and restoring stability and legitimacy to Iraq.

    What is taking place in Iraq should not screen our vision of the immense perils that may impend on the region due to the absence of an international planned effort to sponsor the Arab-Israeli peace process and to put the" roadmap" plan on the proper track of implementation under an international neutral control.

    The declaration of the formation and initial functioning of a new Palestinian government will create a sound atmosphere to start implementing the roadmap plan through an articulate mechanism to ensure a balanced commitment by the Palestinian and Israeli parties.

    In the meantime, we look forward to an active American and international role that guarantees honest implementation of the roadmap plan by both parties down to the declaration of a Palestinian state in 2005 in line with the American peace vision supported by the international community and formulated by the Quartet in the form of definite and interrelated steps.

    Brothers and Sisters, We all bear the trust for our homeland; it is our duty to protect and defend it; to preserve its security and safety and sacrifice every precious and invaluable thing for its sake.

    Our homeland is greater than anyone of us regardless of his prestige. Its interest is above all individual interests and ambitions, false bravado statements, and hollow slogans.

    Amidst these stormy international changes, the first duties of good governance are to carefully calculate how to foster the homeland's capabilities, potential, and national security, to achieve its right priorities without false outbiddings that would lead nowhere, threaten national security and safety or plunge it into a gambling labyrinth, the consequences of which are neither secure nor precisely calculated.

    As we have taken upon ourselves to protect our homeland and defend it against aggressors, it is also our duty to maintain its security and safety and avert it any risks of miscalculation and wrong discretion in an imbalanced world where the rule of justice is absent and the rule of force reigns supreme.

    I pray Allah Almighty to preserve Egypt's security and safety against any evil, to protect us against slipping into self-conceit, miscalculation and wrong discretion, and to guide us to the path of success and righteousness.

    He is the Best Sustainer and Best Supporter.
May Allah's Peace and Mercy be Upon You.