Stepped-up activity at recent meetings and events on the part of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak represented the “best means of refuting” rumors in the media about his failing health, presidential spokesman Suleiman Awwad said Wednesday. Awwad went on to tell reporters that “the presidency does not intend to refute every single item of news." Speculation about the president's health mounted after a scheduled meeting between Mubarak and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was delayed twice last week without explanation. On Sunday, however, Mubarak held four consecutive summit meetings, including one with Netanyahu. On Monday, a US newspaper quoted Western and US intelligence sources as saying that Muabrak was suffering from a terminal illness. The sources went on to predict that Mubarak could be expected to succumb to pancreatic or gastric cancer within one year. Questions about the president's health have prompted the US administration to keep close tabs on the future transfer of power in “a nation that for decades has been an anchor of stability in the volatile Middle East and a key US ally," the Washington Times reported. Mubarak has not yet nominated a vice president and an air of uncertainty continues to surround the identity of his successor. Many political observers believe he will be succeeded by his 46-year-old son, Gamal, who currently occupies a prominent position in Mubarak's ruling National Democratic Party. “The high profile of both Mubarak and Egypt makes such news circulate faster," noted Awwad. “But recent intense and strenuous efforts on the part of President Mubarak serve to act as a practical response to such allegations." An Egyptian diplomatic source, who asked to remain anonymous, described the American news report about the president's health as “political blackmail.” He said that the article had come as a response to Cairo's reluctance to yield to Israeli and US pressure to push the Palestinian Authority (PA) to pursue direct peace talks with Israel. On Sunday, Mubarak stressed the need for achieving progress in ongoing indirect talks between the PA and Israel, currently being conducted under the auspices of Washington, as a prerequisite for launching direct negotiations. According to Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, Mubarak upheld the Egyptian position on the issue during meetings with Netanyahu and US Middle East envoy George Mitchell. In March, Mubarak underwent a surgical operation in Germany in which his gallbladder and a benign tumor were removed.
