Jon Alterman, Director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), has called on Egypt not to worry from the US dialogue with Iran, stressing that such dialogue does not mean that the US will make concessions at the expense of Egypt to get interests from Tehran. In an interview via videoconference organized by the American Embassy in Cairo last Wednesday, Alterman said: "I do not think that Egypt's interest is threatened by the US dialogue with Iran. On the contrary, the change in Tehran's behavior will preserve the interests of Cairo."
Both Cairo and Washington try to achieve stability in the region, put an end to terrorism and form a legitimate Palestinian government. Therefore, Egypt and the United States are in one page and Iran in another page, as he put it.
If the United States was able to contain Iran, this would be better for the region, he said, pointing out that it is not Washington that invited Iran to an Arab summit meeting. Nor is it the one that received the Iranian President. Iran is "involved" in the region's all issues; Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Therefore, we should contain it. Extremism in Pakistan and Afghanistan is the main threat to the United States.
The US previous policy to isolate its enemies "was not successful", as Iran, Syria, Hamas and Hezbollah have become stronger after five years of isolation.
Alterman expected that the definition of diplomacy will change during the coming three decades, as there will be more contacts with the non-governmental organizations, such as Hamas and Hezbollah. The issues of war and peace and social issues are no longer exclusively controlled by governments.
With regard to President Mubarak's expected visit to the United States, Alterman said he do not know what Mubarak will discuss with his U.S. counterpart Obama, pointing out that there was tension in the US-Egyptian ties during the last period.
Washington believes that the billions it spent in the forms of aid to Egypt did not lead to positive feelings among the Egyptians toward the United States. Each party feels that it has not received results equal to what it has given the other.
The tension between the two countries increased in the reign of former U.S. President George W. Bush, as President Mubarak's visits to Washington stopped, he said, expressing his belief that Obama is trying to change this atmosphere.
Cairo and Washington should establish a major project to revitalize the bilateral relations. Egypt and the United States had a major project thirty years ago, namely Camp David Accord.
We should think together in this project in the long run to put an end to the Egyptian feelings of anger and hostility against the United States.
Asked whether the Obama administration will work to support democratic reform in Egypt and the region's countries or it will try to maintain its allies in the current governments in the Middle East, Alterman said this choice is misleading trap, as the two options are very important. If Egypt's internal structure became more organized, this would be better for Cairo and the United States.
The U.S. expert refused the division of the Middle East to Sunni and Shiite areas, adding: "This division is not useful, as there is no sectarian nature and the experts talking about such sectarian division have no credibility."
