Jerusalem Cloakroom #162

Mubarak’s Egypt –
Undermining US Interests

by Yoram Ettinger
yoramtex@netvision.net.il

June 14, 2004

Israel’s Disengagement Plan promotes Egyptian, and Undermines US, Interests. It rewards the largest terrorist base in the world (PA/PLO-controlled Gaza and 40% of Judea & Samaria), with its operatives in Iraq and Afghanistan. It promotes Egypt’s role, in defiance of Egypt’s systematic anti-US record:

1. Official Egyptian anti-US incitement has characterized Egypt’s controlled-media: “Baghdad is raped [by the US] in daylight and no one intervenes...We thought that the walls of Baghdad would resemble swords, chopping the neck of the [US] invader... [According the US], occupation is liberation, cluster bombs are a remedy, unprecedented bloodbath are building a new Iraq... This is a confirmation of the theory: killing for the sake of killing, occupation for the sake of occupation” (government-owned daily, Al Jumhuriyah’s editor in chief, whose appointment was approved by Mubarak, April, 9, 2003).
    

2. Official Egyptian anti-Semitism reinforced by a recent edition of the classic Soviet Elders Of Zion, published by the official weekly, Akhbar Al Yom (Ha’aretz, January 4, 2004), consistent with Egypt’s anti-Semitic and anti-Israel school curriculum. Equally-alarming have been Egypt’s systematic persecution of its 9 million Coptic minority, and the shameful human rights record of the military clique ruling Egypt since 1952.
    

3. The Islamization of Egypt has been accelerated by Mubarak, in contrast with Sadat’s attempts to Westernize Egypt. Since 1981, he has concluded a “protection” pact with radical Muslim elements (in Egypt and later on with Hamas in Gaza!), accelerating their penetration into Egypt’s civil service, clergy, education and military, in order to secure his regime. Mubarak has created a fertile recruiting ground for bin Laden and other Chief anti-US Islamic terrorists, producing bin Laden’s chief lieutenant, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Sheikh Rakhman of the 1993 Twin Tower terrorism and majority of the 9/11 terrorists. Mubarak facilitated series of understandings between the PA and Hamas.
    

4. Islamic penetration has been facilitated by Mubarak’s failed economic policy, which has sacrificed “butter” at the expense of “guns” (compliments of US military aid). Israel has been marked as the leading target for Egypt’s unprecedented military procurement.
    

5. Egypt’s support of Palestinian terrorism: Anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles await in Sinai – compliment of Egypt – to be smuggled into Gaza-based Palestinian terrorists (Col. Zoaretz, Israel’s commander of the Gaza front, Kol Israel, June 9, 2004). “Egyptian manufactured anti-tank RPG missiles are employed by Palestinian terrorists” (Israel’s Deputy Chief of Military Intelligence, Knesset testimony, June 7, 2004). While supposedly aiming to reduce terrorism, once in Gaza, Egypt would fill for the PA/Hamas the role played by Syria for Hizbullah. It would protract Palestinian terrorism and bolster its infrastructure (to be activated according to Egypt’s timing), while bleeding Israelis and Palestinians on the altar of Egyptian interests. A note: the Karin-A ship, carrying military hardware for Palestinian terrorists, was apprehended on its way from Iran to Egypt.
    

6. Achille Lauro’s Abul Abbas escaped US extradition, when flown (2003) from his Cairo’s safe haven to Baghdad. In December 1985, Mubarak allowed Abul Abbas to escape US justice, flying from Cairo to Rome.
    

7. Egypt is a larger military threat than Syria. It obstructs Israel’s ties with Arab and African countries and in the UN (General Eiland, the very dovish national security advisor to PM Sharon, Forward, June 11, 2004).
    

8. Egypt – a traditional contender for Arab leadership – will not act as a policeman against anti-Israel or anti-US Islamic/Palestinian terrorists. Egypt has not tolerated anti-Egyptian terrorism, and has therefore, always, subordinated its ties with the US to its internal security considerations (such as placating radical Islamic elements). Egypt has, also, subordinated its ties with the US to its strategic ties with North Korea (long-range ballistic missiles!), Iran (close strategic ties), Saddam (intimate contacts until the 1991 War and until the 2003 War) and Libya (violating US embargo).
    

9. Wishful-thinking was costly, producing unprecedented terrorism, when Israel and the US believed (Oslo 1993) that combating terrorism could be subcontracted (to the PLO/PA). It would be costlier if both were to repeat – rather than learn from – the mistake, ignoring Egypt’s track record, and subcontracting war on Gaza-based PA-harbored terrorism to Cairo. It would constrain Israel’s war on terrorism, would exacerbate Israel-Egypt relations, would inflame regional instability, and could drag the US – unnecessarily – into the ensuing quagmire.