Posted on 08/17/2004 5:12:50 PM PDT by me_newswire
CAIRO (AFP) - United States Congressman Tom Lantos accused Egypt of not doing enough to halt the smuggling of weapons by Palestinian militants across the Egyptian border.
"I do not believe that the Egyptian government has done enough historically," Lantos, the high-ranking Democratic Party member on the House International Relations Committee, told a news conference in Cairo.
Israel has repeatedly accused the Palestinians of using tunnels dug under the Rafah border crossing to smuggle weapons from Egypt for attacks against Israel.
"I believe Egypt has the capacity to shut down these tunnels," said Lantos but added: "I am totally opposed to terrorists obtaining weapons whether through tunnels or through some other means."
Lantos held a series of meetings in Egypt with the Egyptian leadership, including President Hosni Mubarak (news - web sites), intelligence chief General Omar Suleiman, presidential advisor Osama al-Baz and Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit.
He said much of the discussions "related to our joint efforts...to terminate this murderous activity through the tunnels at the Gaza border".
He added: "I am strongly and irrevocably opposed to arming terrorists," referring to Palestinian militant groups.
Lantos said he wanted to see a resumption of political negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, but suggested that Israel had no credible negotiating partner at the moment.
"I am strongly in favor of resuming negotiations between the Israeli and Palestinians side as soon as the Palestinian side will produce a responsible, dependable and trustworthy negotiating partner," he said.
"In order to have negotiations which are meaningful and serious, you need two constructive negotiating partners. I do not view (Palestinian leader Yasser) Arafat as a dependable, responsible negotiating partner," Lantos argued.
Lantos' visit to Egypt coincided with a harsh campaign against him in the semi-official press that accused him of being unfriendly and biased towards Egypt.
The press took particular issue with the congressman's recent proposal for a reduction in US military aid to Egypt, "which represents only less than half of what Israel gets", according to an editorial in the semi-official al-Akhbar daily that described Lantos as being "shameless."
Lantos had proposed directing some of the military assistance Egypt receives annually from the US for economic and other purposes.
"The world is changing, the demands and requirements of Egyptian society are changing," he argued. "It is clearly in the interests of the people of Egypt, whose prime needs at the moment are in the educational and medical fields and not in additional high-tech weaponary," Lantos added.
The US Congressman's visit to Egypt was the second leg of a regional tour. He arrived in Egypt Monday from Libya and was scheduled to travel to Syria, Jordan and Israel.
He's still alive?..If he is, havign to "swallow" Kerry on Israel may well kill him yet..
Dracula checks in again , At least he does seem to have tapped a patriotic vein recently. But he obviously doesn't fancy Americans.
I entered the thread thinking that the Palestinians had gotten a pass on his comments. To the contrary I was surprised and pleasantly pleased to find some rather factual comments regarding the Palestinians and their leadership.
I am very leary when folks start talking about 'political negotiatins' or 'peace talks' in conjunction with Israel and the Palestinians. I say this because IMO, Israel is constantly asked, derided, smeared, coersed, and essentially forced to make concessions. The Palestinians HAVE NEVER DONE SO. In light of that, I ask myself, would I even enter into negotiations under these circumstances?
Israel always seems willing to negotiate, and in 2000 I was shocked at how much they were willing to give up. It's time for the Palestinians to announce the following before any more negotiation?
1. Declare an end to histilities in perpetuity
2. Quit fostering hatred by use of the press, public officials, schools, churches and parents
3. Destroy your weapons factories
4. Expel a foreign national trouble makers
5. Announce up front before the peace process what you are willinig to give up, just like the big boys do, (Israel)
6. Completely swear off the idea that Israel will ever be destroyed or pushed into the sea
Without any of these steps, there will be no peace, so why should Israel bother if the Palestinians won't agree to each one.
This was probably the least objectionable thing I've heard of of that spokes-hole Lantos.
"The world is changing, the demands and requirements of Egyptian society are changing," he argued. "It is clearly in the interests of the people of Egypt, whose prime needs at the moment are in the educational and medical fields and not in additional high-tech weaponary," Lantos added.Especially now that Iraq has been removed as a military and WMD threat, and Syria is actively committing suicide, and Iran's gov't is going to be de-mullah-ized, and Saudi Arabia will have to cut its spending on overseas terrorism in order to fund its coming civil war, and Sudan...
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