ARAB-US RELATIONS - July 28 - Skepticism For Powell In Egypt.

In a visit to the region for talks on a broad range of issues including the proposed Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza strip, the stability of Iraq, the war on terror, possible sanctions against Sudan over the Darfur situation, and political change in the Arab world, State Secretary Colin Powell holds an unusual meeting held in the restaurant of a Nile-side luxury hotel, with a small group of Egyptian civil society leaders and other activists to discuss US support for political reform in the region, support often viewed with broad skepticism. During the brief gathering, sandwiched between talks with Pres Hosni Mubarak and other senior Egyptian officials, participants said they had told Powell that US backing for reform would gain true momentum only if US pushed for a fair settlement to the Israeli-Arab dispute. There are widespread doubts in the Arab world that the Bush administration is serious about pushing political change. Many perceive a bargaining tactic to pressure long-term Arab allies into backing unpopular decisions for the Palestinians to reach unfavourable terms with Israel and over the future of Iraq. Part of the problem was evident in the meeting with Powell, participants said, in that he did not appear to have much to offer beyond verbal support for civil society Organisations. The editor-in-chief of the quarterly Democracy Review and one of the participants of the meeting Hala Mustafa said: "Although America is talking about reform and democracy in the Middle East, it still lacks a comprehensive vision regarding the issue. That is why sometimes we find one item on the top, civil society, another day technology, then human rights". Participants in the meeting, billed by the Egyptian press as the first of its kind and generally welcomed by civil society groups as a sign of support, stressed to Powell that fundamentally the US lacks credibility on the issue because it is seen as biased against the Arabs. An Egyptian political analyst Osama El Ghazaly Harb, said: "If the Americans want to be more effective in the process of reform, they must make a greater effort to solve the Arab-Israeli conflict. This will make the environment easier for reform. The American image is poisoned by the Arab-Israeli conflict". Asked about the issue at a news conference with Powell, the Egyptian FM Ahmad Abul Gheit, said the recently appointed Egyptian cabinet was eager to pursue reform. Abul Gheit said: "Egypt has been developing over the last 200 years. We are embracing modernity, we are working on our plans to generate resources in our society, to develop economically and socially. The new government is determined to pursue that objective. If you call it reform, I call it energetic development". On other issues, there were differences on emphasis between the two sides. Powell stressed that international pressure must be kept on Sudan to reign in the militiamen wreaking havoc in Darfur, while Abul Gheit said the Sudanese government should be allowed time to stabilise the situation and let hundreds of thousands of refugees return. Powell said: "We should give the Sudanese government time to respond. But these people don't have that much time before disease and famine takes tens of thousands of lives". Powell noted that the US was not rushing to impose sanctions, given its recent history of trying to lift them. The spokesman for Mubarak Magid Abdul Fattah said US is proposing a 30-day deadline in a Security Council resolution threatening sanctions. On Iraq, Powell said the US was continuing to lobby for countries to send troops to help protect UN workers expected to begin working in Iraq soon to organize elections in January. Egyptian officials said Cairo was not contemplating sending troops and questioned an apparent attempt to build a force from Islamic or Arab countries. Contributing troops to any such force would likely be wildly unpopular in any Arab country, as the public would view it as propping up what is still considered a US occupation. Abdul Fattah said: "These forces could be like any other UN forces that include different troops from different countries regardless of ethnicity and religion". On the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, Powell expressed somewhat less patience than the Egyptians with the attempts by the PA under Yasser Arafat to bring calm to Gaza in advance of any potential withdrawal. Arafat pledged on July 27 to give the PM Ahmad Qurei, greater powers to consolidate the security forces and gain political control, long an American demand. Powell said: "We hope that this is in fact what has happened and that the PM of the PA will have the necessary influence".