Hosni Mubarak
צילום: AFP
Mubarak: We need the spirit of October '73
Ahead of 35th anniversary of Yom Kippur War, Egyptian president says his country must maintain its military force in bid to defend peace, deter aggression
Egypt needs the October spirit in order to face today and tomorrow's challenges and win through growth, President Hosni Mubarak said in an interview published Monday ahead of the 35th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War.
Speaking with the local Armed Forces journal, Mubarak said his country must maintain its military power in order to defend peace and deter aggression.
According to the president, "The October war opened the road to peace, to growth and to stability and breathed new life into the nation. It gave faith in its ability to face challenges."
He added that "the dangers of terror and stability shocks threaten our region."
Mubarak also addressed the economic issues Egypt is facing. "Our economy has recorded an unprecedented leap forward" compared to the situation in world markets.
"I always put myself in the shoes of the citizen with a low income and am aware of his suffering and urgent needs when facing the situation and conditions related to increasing prices," he said.
During the interview, the Egyptian president denied the claims that his country sides with the Palestinian Authority at the expense of the Hamas movement. He said his country is preparing to host an inter-Palestinian dialogue.
"We are don't stand by one side at the expense of another side, but stand in one row with everyone. We'll never impose our views on anyone," he stated, calling on the PA and the Palestinian factions to take historic responsibility for their people's sake and unite.
"An agreement will only be reached through dialogue and by resuming mutual trust," Mubarak said.
'Publish war testimonies'
The Egyptian news agency called Sunday for the publication of archived Egyptian documents on the 1973 Yom Kippur War, documenting the testimonies of army commanders who prepared the war and took part in it.
In an article published ahead of the war's 35th anniversary, the agency said that "many are still waiting for the day when they will be able to view the historic documents about the armed forces during this war.
"The small number of secrets published and broadcasted is only a very minor part of the acts of bravery and achievements created by the Egyptian military. When will the secrets related to this war be published?
"The Egyptian armed forces are still holding on to many of the secrets related to this war, assuming that the Israeli-Arab conflict has not ended, but has rather shifted from a military conflict to a diplomatic one."
