USA: EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK MEETS WITH U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENCE RUMSFELD IN WASHINGTON AS VIOLENCE CONTINUES TO RAGE IN MIDDLE EAST
Record ID:
222840
USA: EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK MEETS WITH U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENCE RUMSFELD IN WASHINGTON AS VIOLENCE CONTINUES TO RAGE IN MIDDLE EAST
- Title: USA: EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK MEETS WITH U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENCE RUMSFELD IN WASHINGTON AS VIOLENCE CONTINUES TO RAGE IN MIDDLE EAST
- Date: 5th March 2002
- Summary: (U5) ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES (MARCH 5, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. PAN: U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE DONALD RUMSFELD WALKING DOWN STEPS TO GREET EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK 0.21 2. SCU: PHOTOGRAPHER TAKING PICTURES 0.25 3. PAN: EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT'S MOTORCADE PULLING UP 0.41 4. SCU: PHOTOGRAPHER TAKING PICTURES 0.44 5. SV/PAN: EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK EXITING VEHICLE AND SHAKING HANDS WITH U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE DONALD RUMSFELD / MUBARAK AND RUMSFELD WALK UP STEPS 1.19 6. SLV: ENTOURAGE ENTERS DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE 1.22 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 20th March 2002 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES
- City:
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVAAGKP4XGZAY0HXO8Z5XHYNNX2D
- Story Text: As violence continues to rage in the Middle East,
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has met U.S. Secretary of
Defense Donald Rumsfeld during a visit to Washington, D.C..
Mubarak, a central figure in the struggle for Middle East
peace, is in Washington to discuss the options for a peace
summit.
Hosni Mubarak met Donald Rumsfeld at the Department of
Defense on Tuesday (March 5) and is expected to meet with
President Bush later in the evening. The main item on the
agenda is the recent surge in violence between Israel and the
Palestinians, and the direction the U.S. war on terror is
taking.
Egypt, a political heavyweight in the region and one of
Washington's strongest Arab allies, welcomed a Saudi proposal
for normal relations between Israel and Arab states which
seeks to commit Israel to withdrawing to the borders as they
stood before the Middle East conflict of 1967 in return for
full normalization of Arab ties with Israel.
Mubarak is expected to ask U.S. President George W. Bush
to keep the United States closely involved in the effort to
bring peace to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Washington's plans for Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, the
war in Afghanistan and efforts to boost Egypt's sagging
economy were also expected to be on the agenda when Bush and
Mubarak meet in the Oval Office.
Mubarak is also pushing for a summit meeting between
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian President
Yasser Arafat. He suggested that the Egyptian Red Sea resort
of Sharm el-Sheikh could be used as the venue.
Bush said he would discuss efforts to curb the violence
when he meets with Mubarak, but Israeli officials were cool to
the Egyptian proposal for a Sharon-Arafat summit.
Mubarak and Bush have been in regular telephone contact in
recent months to exchange views on continued
Israeli-Palestinian bloodshed and moribund Middle East peace
efforts. They last met in Washington in April 2001.
The Bush administration, accused by some Arab counties of
being overly supportive of Israel in the Middle East conflict,
has resisted Israeli pressure to cut ties to Arafat, but has
made clear it is disappointed with the Palestinian Chairman's
handling of militant violence.
Mubarak's trip comes a year after his last visit to
Washington, and could also support Egyptian efforts to boost
its sagging economy through high-level talks with trade
officials and business executives. Egypt is the largest
recipient of U.S. financial assistance after Israel.
So far, more than 1,000 people have been killed in 17
months of a Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation.
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