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Senator Joe Lieberman
Remarks after Meeting with President Mubarak
February 18, 2009
Good afternoon. Good to be with you. Good to be back in Cairo. I am Senator Joe Lieberman from the State of Connecticut, in the U.S.A. I’ve just had a very productive meeting with President Mubarak. I appreciate very much the opportunity to speak with President Mubarak. I came today to Cairo to specifically thank President Mubarak for the unique and indispensable role that Egypt is playing in resolving conflict in this part of the world, particularly now, in mediating between Israel and the Palestinians with regard to Gaza to achieve a ceasefire, hopefully, a reconciliation and moving on to a better life for people in Gaza, Palestinians and Israelis, generally.
I also said to President Mubarak what I really believe, which is having been now in the Senate for 20 years - this is my 21st year - having been involved particularly as a member of the Armed Services Committee in international relations of the United States and really concerned about the prospects for peace and stability here in the Middle East, knowing that we have had a long time alliance, a friendship with Egypt. Like any friendship, even like some marriages, they have good times and bad times. I don’t know if in the last 20 years, I can remember a better time in the Egyptian-U.S. relationship and I mean that. We have a real coming together of shared interests because the conflict here, ultimately, in this part of the world is between those who are moderate and those who are extreme, between those who are modernists and believe in progress and those who would go back to an earlier time. Clearly Egypt has been a leader in the moderate, modernist economically progressive forces in the region and that matters greatly to the United States. In the short term, there is in Congress and in the new Administration deep appreciation of the role that President Mubarak, General Soleiman are playing in the resolution of the crisis with regard to Gaza. And of course, when I speak of shared interests and shared concerns, we share a concern with our friends and allies here in Egypt about the destructive role of Iran in this region reaching out, supporting fanaticism well beyond its own borders to the detriment of people here in the region.
Secretary Clinton will be here early in March for the International Donors Conference. It’s an important gathering. It’s important that it be here in Cairo and Egyptian leadership is playing a very critical role there, too, in doing what I think a lot of the rest of the world wants to do, which is help the people of Gaza rebuild, not just their structures, their buildings but their lives, but to do it in a way that does not strengthen any of the political forces – and I’m speaking, of course, specifically of Hamas – in other words that the aid really assists the people of Gaza. So with that I’m happy to answer any questions. I just want to say, finally, that I find President Mubarak to continue to be one of the really most astute, experienced, insightful, practical leaders in the world today. And so it’s always a pleasure to have some time with him.
Question: Two points actually. How do you view Israel’s refusal to have a ceasefire agreement at the last minute? You mentioned Iran – how do you see the idea of having a dialogue with Syria and with Iran?
Sen L: Yeah. Since I left Washington on Saturday night, I just learned actually since I was here yesterday of the focus on the release of Gilad Shalit. Of course, I support the release of Gilad Shalit. I believe that President Mubarak and others support the release, and the question is, can that be done in the context of an overall ceasefire? So I don’t have much more to say about it. I’m going to be in Israel tomorrow to visit Jerusalem and Ramallah and I’ll be able to know more about it then.
With regard to the new Administration beginning a dialogue with Iran and Syria, I always believe that it’s important to talk to people because if you don’t talk to people you can’t improve relations, but the talk has to be realistic and the people you’re speaking with can never feel that you come to those conversations from a position of weakness. Of course, we’d prefer to have better relations with the people of Iran but, you know, when you have a leadership there that consistently assembles large masses and they’re shouting over and over again “Death to America!,” it makes it hard for us to go forward without feeling that there will be change on both sides. And I think this is the attitude of the new Administration. President Obama has assembled a very experienced foreign policy team including, of course, Vice President Biden, Secretary Clinton, General Jones, General Petraeus overseeing this whole part of the world and I’m confident they will proceed in a way that is both hopeful of bringing about change but also is realistic. Incidentally, I know that this is their intention but I certainly will emphasize this when I return to Washington: It is very important as we in the United States begin to explore the possibilities of improving relations with countries like Syria and Iran that we not just consult with but we listen to leaders of allied countries here in the region like President Mubarak who, after all, has had more experience than America has over the last 30 years in dealing with Iran and I’m confident that will happen.
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