Ibrahim Nafie takes stock of President Mubarak's three-part broadcast, Testimonial to Posterity President Mubarak's Testimonial to Posterity, broadcast over three installments totalling more than six hours, could not have been better timed, coinciding as it did with the annual commemoration of the liberation of the Sinai. This proved a perfect occasion to inform those generations who were children, or had yet to be born at the time of the October 1973 War, of the situation that had prevailed as a result of the Israeli aggression of 1967 and the role the Egyptian leadership played in restoring Egyptian and Arab dignity. It was very important that the president impress upon the younger generations the scope and scale of our preparations for the battle to liberate our land and the extent of the resolve and dedication committed to the war effort. When Mubarak described that momentous drive as nothing less than a "war of liberation" we should take this as firsthand testimony from a crucial player in the events of the time. Mubarak was a commander of the air forces that launched the intensive aerial attack that, as he put it, prepared the ground for the Egyptian offensive. The president, furthermore, was adamant in his denial of tendentious claims that that war was merely a "tactical manoeuvre" to break the deadlock in the political situation and, worse, that it had been given a green light by Washington. Such claims, he rightly said, insult those Egyptians who fell in the war. The president was equally frank when discussing his relationship with President Sadat. Mubarak had never aspired to political office which is why he was taken by surprise during his meeting with Sadat when the late president informed him that he had selected him as his vice president. Mubarak was also keen to point out to younger generations that the reform process had begun under Sadat and that he saw it as his duty to continue the process. Mubarak's discussion of Egypt's policy in the face of the storms that have swept the region during his presidency provided another lesson in the principles that guide Egypt, the largest Arab power. After a detailed account of the Iraqi-Kuwaiti crisis, which culminated in the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the president related that he had done everything in his power to persuade Saddam Hussein to withdraw his forces from Kuwait but that the Iraqi president had refused to heed his advice. He also reminded his audience that when Saudi Arabia requested Egypt send troops Mubarak presented the request to the People's Assembly, which gave its approval. In taking this step the president underscored an important principle -- that the sovereignty and independence of all nations must be respected. This was why the Egyptian forces that participated in the liberation of Kuwait played no part in the subsequent incursion into Iraq. To Egypt there was only one objective of that war -- to get Iraqi forces out of Kuwait. In this context Mubarak dwelt on a number of other principles of Egyptian foreign policy in general, and towards Arab countries in particular. Egypt, he said, rejects tactics of escalation and brinkmanship and refuses to be drawn, militarily or otherwise, into such a game. For example, Egypt steadfastly refused to take part in any military action against Libya in spite of Libya's strange and provocative behaviour at the time. Mubarak also refused to entertain demands that he retaliate militarily after the assassination attempt against him in Addis Ababa, even after information surfaced on the group in Khartoum that had masterminded the attack. This latter instance illustrates Egypt's extraordinary powers of self-restraint and determination to place national and Arab-national interests above all other considerations. That conspiracy also demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt that Mubarak is not the kind of leader who allows personal considerations to cloud his thinking. He never acts without first studying the matter thoroughly and carefully weighing the pros and cons. One only wished that more leaders had a similar level of personal detachment, especially in times of crisis. In the last installment of his Testimonial to Posterity Mubarak was keen to present his perspective on Egypt's current situation and his hopes for Egypt's future. After discussing the aims of the current political and economic reform process, he touched upon several principles that he believes are crucial to the success of this process. Perhaps the most salient is that there can be no religious parties in Egypt. Yet, while insisting on this point, he stressed that it was the right of every Egyptian citizen to express himself politically, using the vehicle of one of the legitimate political parties. He also reaffirmed the core principle in which he deeply believes -- that all Egyptians are equal in rights and duties, regardless of their religious affiliation. Another principle was underscored when he described the amendment of article 76 of the constitution as only "a first shot". When he asked for the amendment, he said, his aim was not merely to promote procedural changes in the way the president is chosen, but rather to set into motion a process that would eventually impact on other articles of the constitution. As he put it towards the end of the interview, he had his eyes set not on the present but on the future of Egypt. This is why he believes that reform must be an ongoing, comprehensive process conducted according to an authentic Egyptian vision and at a pace that suits Egypt's needs and circumstances. Because of the title of his interview many had expected the president to drop a bombshell and they let their imaginations run wild as to what this might be. The reaction was curious, because Mubarak has always been candid with the people and has never gone in for the sensationalism of which some other Arab leaders and officials seem so fond. Also, as I pointed out above, the president never takes decisions without first giving careful thought to the impact these will have on the stability and security of the nation and the interests of the Egyptian people, his highest priority. It should therefore come as no surprise that Mubarak has not yet announced whether or not he plans to put himself forward as a candidate in the forthcoming presidential elections. In spite of all Egypt has achieved since he became president he prefers to wait until after article 76 is amended before declaring his intention to run or not. To me this is very much to the credit of a man who has committed himself to laying the foundations and establishing the principles for a comprehensive process that will usher in a new phase of growth and development.
