The US's top diplomat speaks to Al-Ahram's Salama Ahmed Salama Before meeting in Cairo Tuesday with the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states -- the "6+2 states" as they are now called -- US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice gave a 55-minute interview to three senior Egyptian journalists -- Salama Ahmed Salama, veteran columnist for Al-Ahram, Magdi El-Galad, editor-in-chief of Al-Masry Al-Youm , and Mohamed Salah, Cairo bureau chief of Al-Hayat . Below are excerpts of Salama's notes from the interview that concentrated, in accordance with Rice's request, on "democracy in the Middle East". After briefing the three senior journalists on President Bush's recognition of Egypt's leading role in championing the cause of democracy and freedom in the Middle East, the Egyptian journalists raised with Rice the common belief in Egypt that democracy in the region is not a real concern for the US, and that the main aim of her visit is the formation of a new axis of moderation consisting of the six GCC states plus Egypt and Jordan (the "6+2") to confront Iran. They also expressed the widely held opinion among Arabs that talk about Washington's "genuine interest" in a just solution for the Palestinian question, given its unconditional support of Israeli aggression, is but a carrot to coax the Arabs into cooperation. Rice listened carefully and made an articulate defence of US policies in the region which can be summed up in the following points: Democracy is not something the US can impose by force beyond its national borders. Democracy has many different formulas and all the US can do is to support efforts towards democratic rule in any given country. In Egypt, the US is doing so in a true spirit of friendship, while at the same time respecting the country's history and culture. Rice explained that there is no contradiction between US strategic interests and democracy, and that the US is supporting peaceful reform in the Middle East by attempting to solve long- standing conflicts in the region; top among which is the Arab-Israeli struggle. Rice also said that reforming the Middle East could be best achieved by encouraging moderate democratic transformation. Hence the US's interest in the development of a democratic Palestinian state existing side by side with Israel, the consolidation of a democratic Lebanese regime, and the support of democracy in countries previously ruled by dictators, such as Iraq. On the Palestinian question, Rice said that Israel is a friend of the US, but so are Egypt and Jordan, and that the US helped Egypt and Jordan to conclude peace agreements with Israel and that those agreements were in the interest of Egypt and Jordan. She further explained that President Bush was the first American president to adopt an official US policy supporting the creation of a Palestinian state to exist side by side with Israel. The American administration now, Rice said, is supporting Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, whom it is convinced is a man of peace, and is currently working on creating better relations, and direct negotiation, between Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. On Iraq, Rice said that despite the violent situation in the country she is convinced that the majority of Iraqis are trying hard to rise above the many divisive factors that existed in the country for a long time but were not allowed to come to the surface because of the repression of the former Iraqi regime. Rice also said that the present Iraqi prime minister has a plan for national reconciliation and that most Iraqis are favouring this plan. As for the American presence in Iraq, Rice said that as soon as the Iraqis complete the task of building up their security forces American troops would pull out of the country. Regarding Lebanon, Rice said Lebanon was previously occupied by Syria, and that the Syrian occupation had imposed a tyrannical system on the country that ended in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Al-Hariri. She added that Hizbullah's presence in South Lebanon was contrary to the stability of Lebanon as it was waging wars of which the Lebanese government knew nothing. Finally, and in response to the charge that the US is actually fighting Islam, Rice said that Islam as a religion enjoys great respect in America. She also said that Islam is one of the most widely held religious beliefs in the US. Rice added that the American administration knows well that Islam is a religion of tolerance, that there is no inherent contradiction between Islam and democracy, and that each country has the right to determine the suitable relationship between religion and state within the framework of a democratic system.
