A high-level Egyptian delegation is currently in the United States in an effort to clarify Cairo's point of view on current regional events to top US officials. Hoda Tawfik reports from Washington A high-level Egyptian delegation's current trip to the United States couldn't have been more timely. As a confrontation with Iraq looms closer by the day, there is "an avid interest in assessing the implication of the war and its aftermath on the Middle East", Fred Lafer, president of the Washington Institute for Near East policy, told Al-Ahram Weekly. Senior Presidential Advisor Osama El- Baz will be presenting just such an assessment at a meeting on Friday at the institute. The main focus will probably be on what the post-war region might look like, with special attention being given to how the situation in Iraq will affect the prospects of reinvigorating the Arab-Israeli peace process. During a discussion with reporters and editors from the New York Times earlier in the week, El-Baz said that an attack on Iraq would lead to more radicalisation -- rather than liberalisation -- of politics in the Middle East. In Iraq itself, the immediate consequences would be either chaos, or lack of hope. The meeting at the New York Times was one of many that took place between policy makers, media people, the business community, academia, and politicians from both the Democratic and Republican Parties and the Egyptian delegation -- which includes El-Baz, Minister of Foreign Trade Youssef Boutros Ghali, National Democratic Party Policy Committee Chief Gamal Mubarak, as well as representatives from the private sector. The whirlwind tour took the group to New York where they attended special events at the Council of Foreign Relations, and Houston, where a meeting was held at the Baker Institute. In Washington, meetings took place with top US administration officials including National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Assistant Secretary of State Bill Burns, and senior officials at the Pentagon. At every meeting, a comprehensive discussion of the multi-dimensional nature of American-Egyptian relations took place. Both American and Egyptian officials assess these contacts as both vital and fruitful, describing the initiative as part of a new phase of out reach involving diverse Egyptian delegations meeting with various sectors of American society. The timeliness of the meetings was brought into sharp focus by the misunderstandings that came into play after 11 September, stemming from American perceptions that Arabs were to blame for the atrocities, and Arab perceptions that Americans were unfairly targeting them. In an interview with Al- Ahram Editor-in-Chief Ibrahim Nafie (extracts of which are published in this issue, p. 11), Rice stressed the importance of Egyptian-American friendship. This sentiment was confirmed by the latest report submitted to Congress on relations between the two countries. Prepared by Clyde Mark of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Division, the report said that US-Egyptian relations are tied to maintaining regional stability with a focus on Egyptian economic development, military cooperation, democracy, sustaining the March 1979 Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty and a continuation of US foreign assistance to Egypt. The report described Egypt as a regional leader and moderating influence among many Arab, African, Islamic, and Third World states. According to Nabil Fahmy, the Egyptian ambassador to the US, the imbalance that occurred post 11 September necessitates a continuous and diverse Egyptian presence on the American scene. Fahmy said it was of the utmost urgency for both countries to have a frank and positive dialogue on numerous levels in order to strengthen the basic tenets of the relationship. Since the 1970s, those basics have included finding a just solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, developing military cooperation, and securing economic assistance. It was thus of utmost importance and urgency that the delegation partake in as many possible chances for dialogue with officials, non-officials, think-tanks, media, and financial institutions, as they could. Participants were unanimous in describing the dialogues that have taken place as positive. The Americans want to listen, they said, and the delegation had plenty to explain and discuss. According to Ambassador Edward Walker, the president of Middle East Institute who has just returned to the US from a visit to Egypt and Saudi Arabia, "the reality is that when Arabs think of the United States they think of Israel and when Americans think of the Arabs they think terrorism. These perceptions will be magnified tenfold if the United States invades Iraq." With sentiments such as those, it seems clear that outreach from both sides needs to take place. A day-long conference set to take place in Washington on the current crisis in the Middle East and the role US-Egyptian relations can play in forming a comprehensive US strategy for the region, is a perfect example. The three primary members of the Egyptian delegation will be speaking at the event, as will senior administration strategists including former commander of the US Central Command General Anthony Zinni, former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger, Senator John Sununu and other Middle East experts.
