Egypt snubs G8 invitation

[Dover]

Egypt snubs G8 invitation


Tuesday 25 May 2004, 3:40 Makka Time, 0:40 GMT

Egypt has announced it will not be attending next month's G8 summit in the US.

In a televised interview on Monday, Foreign Minister Ahmad Mahir explained Cairo's decision to snub some of the world's richest countries.

He said Arab identity should not be "dissolved" into a US-backed Greater Middle East Initiative and that other Arab states attending the Group of Eight meeting would make that clear.

The US initiative, designed to counter growing Islamist movements, was also criticised as an attempt to impose reform from abroad while not addressing key regional issues such as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Other Arab countries to pass on the summit may include Tunisia and Qatar.

However, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain and Morocco are all expected to attend the three days of talks that begin on 8 June in Sea Island, Georgia....>>

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/3CA9CD4B-F3F3-4640-99EB-5DD25D5CAA01.htm

[baby_bear]

1. Dover, can you figure this out?

from the same article:

<snip>
The G8 comprises the leading industrialised nations - Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the US.

Asked how serious a problem it was for Egypt and Tunisia to turn down the US invitation, White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters: "We believe very strongly that it's important to support the calls for reform in the region."

"This initiative … is about supporting efforts under way for reform in the region by the people in the region. And we want to support their efforts, not impose anything on them."

</snip>


hello? I guess I was uninformed about the "imposing" thing. I am sure the Iraqis will be glad to know this was just a misunderstanding.

Good grief.

s_m

[Dover]

3. Scottieboy, as usual, is talking in circles. But I'm guessing that this

decision by Egypt and others might have been hashed out in the recent meeting of the Arab States. Who knows what, exactly, are the reasons for this maneuver, but I'm betting the G8 meeting is a big flop for the U.S. due to other countries showing similar disapproval of U.S. tactics/policies. The U.S. might find itself alone in the room during the G8. The coalition of the "willing" is shrinking fast.

[Leilani]

2. Maybe the Egyptians

heard there were moving vans in the area.