CAIRO: President Hosni Mubarak said the Arab world is currently in the best of states and that its problems will end in time. Speaking to reporters after a tour of factories in Sixth of October city Wednesday, Mubarak said cooperation between Arab nations is continuous and ongoing. "All our efforts are aimed at bringing together the Arab nations, he said. Mubarak's comments come at a time when the Middle East appears demarcated into pro and anti-Iranian camps, with Syria and groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas aligned to the Persian country, while US allies such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia are wary about its growing influence in the region. Diaa Rashwan from Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies expressed his surprise at Mubarak's comments, especially in light of the many conflicts in the region. "On what basis does he say this? Rashwan told Daily News Egypt. "What are the indicators he is using? It doesn't make sense, especially when we look at the situation in Darfur, Palestine and Iraq. He added that the possible reason for Mubarak's comments may stem from a differing perspective than the citizens of the Arab world. "None of the Arab leaders have the same priorities as you and me, they look at it from their interests, Rashwan said, "and those are continuity and stability for themselves so maybe from their perspective everything seems fine. Tension has also been visibly palpable between Arab nations since the Israeli offensive on the Gaza strip last December when Egypt was criticized for not opening the Rafah border crossing during the strikes. A schism occurred between Egypt and Qatar during the crisis and Saudi efforts to arbitrate between them did not meet with much success. Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit lashed out at Qatar-based Al Jazeera for their coverage of the crisis which he deemed critical of Egypt. "Some clarification would be welcome so maybe we can be as optimistic as [Mubarak] is about the Arab world, Rashwan said.
