EGYPT: PRESIDENT MUBARAK MEETS U.S.ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE WILLIAM BURNS FOR TALKS ON THE LOOMING U.S. LED WAR AGAINST IRAQ.
Record ID:
223027
EGYPT: PRESIDENT MUBARAK MEETS U.S.ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE WILLIAM BURNS FOR TALKS ON THE LOOMING U.S. LED WAR AGAINST IRAQ.
- Title: EGYPT: PRESIDENT MUBARAK MEETS U.S.ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE WILLIAM BURNS FOR TALKS ON THE LOOMING U.S. LED WAR AGAINST IRAQ.
- Date: 16th March 2003
- Summary: (W4) CAIRO, EGYPT (MARCH 16, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. LAS: EXTERIOR ITIHADIYA PALACE. 0.04 (W4) CAIRO, EGYPT (MARCH 16, 2003) (REUTERS)(MUTE) 2. PHOTO-OPPORTUNITY WITH EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT VARIOUS: HOSNI MUBARAK, U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE WILLIAM BURNS AND OFFICIALS. (4 SHOTS) 0.27 (W4) CAIRO, EGYPT (MARCH 16, 2003) (REUTERS) 3. TARCK: BURNS ENTERS PRESS ROOM AND STANDS AT PODIUM. 0.34 4. MV: WOMAN JOURNALIST TAKING NOTES. 0.38 5. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) BURNS, SAYING "President Bush attaches great value to his relationship to President Mubarak to President Mubarak's leadership and to his counsel. On Iraq I stressed again President Bush's appreciation for the efforts of President Mubarak and the Egyptian government to urge the complete unconditional and immediate compliance of the Iraqi regime with its obligations to the international community. I stressed again that President Bush views the use of force as the last resort. None of us can view lightly the question of using force because war is a terrible undertaking. But I also stressed the dangers of inaction in the face of continued Iraqi defiance of the United Nations and the international community. The president continues to make every effort to find a solution, to find a way to disarm Iraq short of the use of force but time is clearly running out. I stressed also on the Palestinian issue that President Bush fully agrees with President Mubarak on the importance of moving vigorously to realize the vision of two states that President Bush just talked about publicly and stressed that inaction on the Palestinian-Israeli issue is in many ways just as dangers as inaction in confronting Saddam Hussein's defiance of the international community. I repeated the President's personal commitment as he said publicly within the last couple of days to that two-state vision to implementing the road map as a means of achieving that vision. We have no illusions about the difficulties involved in this undertaking. It going to require both sides to undertake some very difficult obligations but the United States for its part is determined to move ahead vigorously and we are confident that we are going to work with close partnership with our friends in Egypt." 2.24 6. MV/ZOOM OUT/WS: BURNS DEPARTS PRESS CONFERENCE. 2.30 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 31st March 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: CAIRO, EGYPT
- Country: Egypt
- Reuters ID: LVAE1L9PIJXFT7XJNO8RKIIDRUXJ
- Story Text: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has met U.S. Assistant
Secretary of State William Burns to discuss a looming U.S.-led war against Iraq and U.S President George W. Bush's recent announcement to
unveil the long-delayed peace "roadmap" for the Middle East
when a new Palestinian prime minister takes office.
Egyptian President Hosni President Mubarak and U.S.
Assistant Secretary of State William Burns held talks on Sunday
(March 16) to discuss the Iraq and the Mideast crises.
Iraq went onto a war footing on Sunday just hours before
U.S. President George W. Bush was to hold an emergency summit
with close allies Britain and Spain that could start the
countdown to war.
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein divided his country into
four military districts under his command to prepare for any
assault by quarter of a million U.S. and British troops
already massed in the Gulf region.
Washington and London said Bush's summit in the Azores
islands in the Atlantic with British Prime Minister Tony Blair
and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar was not a council
of war for the trio, who have led a hard line against Saddam.
Bush braced the American people for war on the eve of the
crisis summit with Britain and Spain. As Bush spoke of his
readiness to "confront a growing danger" in Iraq, Baghdad
invited the top U.N. weapons inspectors to visit as soon as
possible to discuss outstanding disarmament issues. A U.N.
spokeswoman in Vienna said the inspectors would consult the
Security Council on Monday (March 17) about the invitation.
Referring to recent events Burns told a news conference
in Cairo on Sunday, "I stressed again that President Bush
views the use of force as the last resort. None of us can view
lightly the question of using force because war is a terrible
undertaking. But I also stressed the dangers of inaction in
the face of continued Iraqi defiance of the United Nations and
the international community."
"The president continues to make every effort to find a
solution, to find a way to disarm Iraq short of the use of
force but time is clearly running out," added Burns.
U.S. President George W. Bush, hoping to deflect Arab and
European criticism of U.S. policy ahead of any war with Iraq,
said on Friday (March 14) he would unveil the long-delayed
peace "roadmap" when a new Palestinian prime minister with
"real authority" to
usher in reform and rein in militants takes office.
Formulated by the Unites States, United Nations, European
Union and Russia last year, the roadmap calls for the founding
of a Palestinian state by 2005 alongside a secure Israel. The
Palestinians rose up in September 2000 after talks stalled.
With U.S. backing, Israel accuses Arafat of fomenting
violence during a 29-month-old uprising in the occupied West
Bank and Gaza Strip, a charge the Palestinian leader denies
and has demanded he cede power before peace talks can be
held.
Addressing Sunday's news conference Burns said, "I
stressed also on the Palestinian issue that President Bush
fully agrees with President Mubarak on the importance of
moving vigorously to realize the vision of two states that
President Bush just talked about publicly and stressed that
inaction on the Palestinian-Israeli issue is in many ways just
as dangers as inaction in confronting Saddam Hussein's
defiance of the international community."
The Palestinian Authority is moving fast to appoint a new
prime minister. If approved, Palestinian President Yasser
Arafat was expected to ratify the bill and then officially ask
Mahmoud Abbas, widely known as Abu Mazen, to be prime minister
and form a new Palestinian cabinet.
Abbas has yet to accept the post but Palestinian
Information Minister Saeb Erekat said his nomination was firm.
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