CAIRO: President Hosni Mubarak warned that Iran’s continued attempts to develop military nuclear capabilities will have serious repercussions on the region.
Mubarak’s comments came on the sidelines of his meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in the resort town of Shaem El Sheikh on Thursday.
The President hinted that Egypt might begin developing nuclear weapons if Iran were to develop a weaponized nuclear program and then ally itself with Israel, which reportedly possesses such armaments.
Egypt would have to think about defending itself if such a scenario were to arise, he added.
“No one in the region has weapons of mass destruction but [Israel], and now Iran has started, he said in an interview with Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot as reported by Al Ahram newspaper.
“Maybe when Iran starts you might some day be friends and work against us. I must see about defending my country and others will think the same.
Mubarak was alluding to a nuclear arms race that might set off in the region if Iran continues to develop military nuclear power.
He said “Either weapons of mass destruction will spread in the region or disappear from the region. I have previously spoken to the Israeli side about this and they said they will consider it when there is peace.
“But for Iran to have weapons of mass destruction and we remain watching? This situation threatens us because it might encourage any country to use these weapons to enforce its will on the region, and that is a danger to the entire region.
The official Egyptian viewpoint has always been to try and clear the Middle East from nuclear weapons and Mubarak reiterated this position in the interview.
“We want the area completely free of weapons of mass destruction, the President said.
A senior diplomatic source confirmed to The Daily Star Egypt that this is the official Egyptian position on the issue of nuclear weapons in the region and stressed that the President did not state that Iran already possessed these weapons.
A summit between the leaders of Israel and Egypt on Thursday fell short of its goal of igniting a new round of Mideast peace efforts, and instead highlighted the significant disagreements between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
Speaking during a frosty news conference after the meeting, Egypt s President Hosni Mubarak condemned an Israeli raid in the West Bank, pushed Israel to hold talks with Syria and urged it to pursue peace with the Palestinians despite the rise of the Islamic militant Hamas.
The meeting was overshadowed by Israel s raid in the city of Ramallah hours earlier that killed four Palestinian civilians and wounded 20 others.
Mubarak, a key mediator between the Palestinians and Israel, strongly denounced the raid, expressing his displeasure for what had happened and stressing that Israel s and the region s security would be achieved only by serious endeavors toward peace. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert apologized for civilian casualties from the raid.
Things developed in a way that could not have been predicted in advance, if innocent people were hurt, this was not our intention, he said.
Egypt is eager to broker peace between the Palestinians and Israel, and Mubarak on Thursday said he would welcome a meeting bringing together himself, Olmert, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan s King Abdullah II.
After the situation is crystallized, there is no objection for a quartet meeting, he said.
With additional reports from the Associated Press
