Stability in the region remains in the balance, although tensions have been decreased. Nevine Khalil and Soha Abdelaty report Click to view caption Cairo plunged into intense diplomatic contacts and meetings this week to pre- empt further destablisation in the region owing to tensions over Iraq and violence in the Palestinian territories. It fought its battles through diplomatic channels, the UN Security Council and direct contact with the players in Washington, Baghdad, the Palestinian territories and Tel Aviv. While trying to stave off US strikes against Iraq because of its alleged stockpiling of weapons of mass destruction, Cairo was also urging the US to become "effectively" involved in stopping Israel from literally flattening the Palestinian leadership. On Tuesday, an envoy delivered a message from Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to President Hosni Mubarak regarding the stand-off between Baghdad and Washington. During talks, Iraqi Foreign Minister Nagi Sabri assured Egyptian officials that Iraq remains committed to the unconditional return of the UN inspectors. His stop in Cairo was part of an Arab tour to consult on American threats to strike Iraq and discuss the "difficult conditions" in the region. "The Iraqis are keen to show the world that they do not possess any weapons of mass destruction and do not have any intentions in this regard," said Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher. During the Mubarak-Sabri meeting, Mubarak emphasised the importance of Iraqi cooperation with the inspectors in order to overcome the current crisis. Maher told reporters that Egypt remains committed to resolving this matter "peacefully", and not through using force. In the meantime, the US continues to seek a Security Council resolution authorising the use of force in the event of Iraqi non-compliance with the inspectors. US President George W Bush said that he wanted a tough new Security Council resolution to strip Hussein of his weapons of mass destruction. British officials said that a draft resolution could be submitted to the council in a few days. As part of regional efforts to pre-empt a US strike, Cairo has been in contact with several players and warned that an attack on Iraq would further destabilise the region. Egypt agrees that there is no need for a new Security Council resolution since Iraq has already agreed to allow in UN weapons inspectors. Arab countries did, however, have recourse to the Security Council where they sought a resolution to end the crisis in the Palestinian territories, after Israeli troops bulldozed their way into Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's presidential compound on 19 September. Tearing down all but one building in retaliation for two suicide bombings which killed seven people, the Israeli military appeared more threatening than the first time they put the Palestinian president under siege in March. Arafat, holed up in the remaining building, contacted several Arab and world leaders, including Mubarak, as the buildings around him were destroyed. Five days later, on Monday, Mubarak spoke with Israeli Defence Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer to discuss the volatile situation on the ground, and urged the Israelis to halt their military operations to avoid pushing the region into additional complications. He also stressed that Israel must guarantee Arafat's safety and well-being. Israel's Defence Ministry had previously confirmed that Ben Eliezer provided assurances to Mubarak and Jordanian Prime Minister Ali Abu Ragheb that Arafat would not be harmed. He told them that Israel's motive for the siege was to arrest "men involved in terrorist attacks", allegedly trapped in Arafat's headquarters, and that it was seeking a swift end to the stand-off. But Maher dismissed the hand-over demand as a "pretext" for Israel's use of the iron fist against the Palestinians. "Israel is asking for people to be handed over while it doesn't even know their names. This issue is an Israeli fiction," argued Maher. Egypt said it was deploying intensive diplomatic efforts, primarily directed at Washington, to secure an end to Arafat's siege. As the stand-off continued, Mubarak sent a message to Bush on Saturday, stressing the danger that Israel's actions represent for the whole region. He called on the American president to interfere "effectively and immediately" to stop Israel's actions and guarantee the safety of the Palestinian leadership. On the following days, Maher spoke with several of his counterparts around the world, including US Secretary of State Colin Powell. "Everyone knows that the US, if it adopts a firm position towards Israel, is the one that can make it stop," Maher explained on Sunday. "The US has to realise that it is in its interests and the interests of stability, that Israel stops these practices." Cairo is not only seeking Arafat's personal safety, but also an end to hostile Israeli policies against the Palestinian people. "The whole situation has to be resolved," said Maher, who met on Monday with the French and US ambassadors to Egypt to relay this message. In Maher's consultations, which included the permanent members of the UN Security Council; American, European and UN officials, he warned that Israel's actions were destabilising the entire region. This was the same warning issued to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon by many of the parties in contact with him. "But regrettably, [Sharon] has not listened to the advice. The next move will be in the Security Council because it is clear that Israel does not want to listen to the voice of reason," Maher said on Tuesday. Earlier in the week, Maher lambasted Israel's attack on the Palestinian Authority's headquarters. "There is no acceptable justification for [these acts]," he said on Sunday. "Israel's continuation of this aggressive and inhumane policy [is an indication] that they do not want peace." Egyptian officials continued to work for a UN Security Council resolution that would call on Israel to unconditionally withdraw its troops. A compromise resolution was issued early Tuesday morning, despite US abstention. It demanded that Israel cease its actions around Arafat's compound while condemning terrorist attacks. Cairo welcomed the resolution, especially given that the US did not veto it, which meant that Washington will ultimately adhere to its main tenets. "It abstained for specific reasons, but in principle it did not object to what was in the resolution," explained Maher. "We expect [the US] to bear its responsibilities in making Israel implement this resolution. We have an important weapon in our hands."
