BETTER LATE THEN EVER

Better late than never for Mideast peace process, Mubarak interview Wed Dec 6, 7:55 AM

ET DUBLIN (AFP) - President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt has said key players were belatedly realising that ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict was central to broader Middle East peace, ahead of a European tour. Recently, we note an evolving recognition of this reality among important international key players, Mubarak told the Irish Times, in an allusion to the United States and Europe, before leaving Cairo for Dublin, Paris and Berlin.This recognition, though late, represents a window of opportunity we must seize, Mubarak said Wednesday.

Mubarak, who arrives here later Wednesday, will meet Irish President Mary McAleese, Prime Minister Bertie Ahern and Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern during his two-day visit. Mubarak will later have talks with French President Jacques Chirac in Paris and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.Any progress along the Palestinian-Israeli peace track will trigger a positive spillover on other Middle East crises; in Iraq and elsewhere, he said.He said there had to be a high-level political commitment within the diplomatic quartet of the United States, European Union, Russia and the United Nations to relaunch the Palestinian-Israeli peace
process.

Blaming both sides for miscalculations, he said the July-August war between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas had undermined the whole region's stability.On Iraq, Mubarak suggested a careful, phased withdrawal of US-led coalition forces.Asked for his hopes for the long-awaited policy options from the Iraq Study Group in Washington, Mubarak said that if it
recommended withdrawal in the short term, that would be making another mistake, a terrible mistake.The newspaper said he drew two imaginary lines in the air. Withdrawal now is very dangerous, and I underline it.Mubarak complained that the Sudanese government could not accept the August UN Security Council Resolution 1706 on the violence in Darfur because it would lead to UN control over borders as well as impose changes on the judicial system and the police.If (the Darfur problem) is not looked after cautiously, terrorist groups will come from Somalia, from Ethiopia from everywhere, he warned.