Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
Photo: Reuters
Mubarak: UN 'impotent' over Lebanon
Egyptian president says Security Council had revealed its impotence in its response to Israel's conflict with Hizbullah, calls for an immediate ceasefire
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said on Monday the UN Security Council had revealed its impotence in its response to Israel's conflict with Hizbullah, and again called for an immediate ceasefire.
In an address to the nation, Mubarak said the deadlock between Israel and the Palestinians was the core of the problem and so there was an urgent need to revive peace talks.
He called for an urgent international investigation into the Israeli attack on the south Lebanese village of Qana on Sunday, in which at least 54 civilians were killed.
The UN Security Council met in New York on Sunday and unanimously adopted a statement deploring the Qana attack. But the United States blocked adoption of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's call for an immediate truce.
Mubarak said: "Egypt expresses its regret and annoyance at the failure to reach an immediate ceasefire... The Security Council has failed to deal rapidly and effectively with the Israeli aggression and to fulfill its responsibility for international peace and security."
"This foot-dragging and impotence reflect the fundamental flaws in the joint defense system which the United Nations represents," the Egyptian president added.
Mubarak on Monday sent Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit to Saudi Arabia to discuss the crisis.
Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia – three of the Arab governments most friendly toward the United States – face outrage and protest at home against Israel's conduct, pushing them to try to take a tougher line with Washington.
The government of Morocco, which also has good relations with Washington, condemned as odious the Israeli attack on Qana, the state news agency MAP reported.
"The Moroccan government firmly condemns the odious aggression perpetrated by Israel against the village of Qana, in our brother nation Lebanon, which caused dozens of deaths, among them children, women and unarmed civilians," MAP cited the government as saying.
It called on the international community, especially the world's most influential countries and organizations, to act to put an end to the war.
Professional organizations and opposition groups are planning more demonstrations in Cairo on Monday in protest at the Israeli attacks in Lebanon.
There have been protests in Cairo most days for the past week, usually with several hundred participants.
