Foreign Correspondence

[Amaunet]

Iraq criticises Egypt's Mubarak over war comments

Mubarak’s comments I feel are more ominous for Iran than a Bush inspired nuclear attack. The Arabs not wishing to inadvertently aid Israel feel a complete condemnation of Iran is not preferred as it would seem an endorsement or turning toward Israel. Mubarak is flirting with that line. Turning the Arabs against Iran is the sort of discretion favored by Washington at present while the beat goes on for the war drums. IMO

reference:
Turning the Arabs against the Persians or using the Arabs to take out Iran is a strategy long used by Bush. A case in point is the Persian Gulf Island dispute.
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The bombings took place in Ahvaz where ‘some foreign agents’, think U.S., were accused of being behind a previous riot.

On April 15, a letter, which was said to be written by Iran'sformer vice president Mohammad Ali Abtahi to promote a coercive migration of Arabs in the southwestern province of Khuzestan, touched off riots in the provincial capital of Ahvaz.

Iran disclaimed the letter and reined in the unrest, claiming "some foreign agents" were behind the incident.
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-Am


Iraq criticises Egypt's Mubarak over war comments
09 Apr 2006 14:27:42 GMT

Source: Reuters

(Adds Egyptian statement from paragraph 6)

BAGHDAD, April 9 (Reuters) - The Iraqi government criticised Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Sunday for questioning the loyalty of Shi'ites in Arab countries and saying civil war had started in Iraq.

"It's a stab in their (Iraqi Shi'ites') patriotism and civilisation," said Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari reading from a government statement.

In the comments broadcast on Saturday, Mubarak said Shi'ites in Arab states were more loyal to Iran than their own countries. His comments echoed accusations by Iraqi Sunnis about their own Shi'ite leaders.

Jaafari, a Shi'ite, said the government had instructed the Iraqi foreign minister to seek clarification from Egypt, a key regional U.S. ally, on the remarks.

Mubarak's comments came amid worsening sectarian bloodshed in Iraq as Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish leaders struggle to form a unity government four months after parliamentary elections.

Egypt's presidential spokesman Suleiman Awad said Mubarak was speaking about Shi'ite "sympathy" for Iran.

"Awad said the president's meaning was that there is Shi'ite sympathy for Iran because it hosts Shi'ite holy places," Egypt's state MENA news agency reported.

Egypt is overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim with no significant Shi'ite minority.

Awad added that Mubarak made his comments out of concern for Iraq, which is 60 percent Shi'ite.

"The president's comments on Iraq reflected his serious concern over the continually deteriorating situation in Iraq and his desire for the unity of Iraq and its people and a return to calm," MENA quoted him as saying.

Sectarian violence has been on the rise since the bombing of a Shi'ite shrine in February touched off reprisals and pushed Iraq to the brink of civil war.

"It's not on the threshold (of civil war). It's pretty much started," Mubarak said in his comments broadcast on Saturday by pan-Arab satellite television channel Al Arabiya.

Mubarak added that the conflict in Iraq could spread and worsen if U.S. forces left the country. (Additional reporting by Cairo bureau)


http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L09197405.htm