By NNN-KUNA
Cairo : Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has said that the Oct 6, 1973 war against the Israelis marked solidarity among all Arabs becuase it was the liberation of the occupied territories.
Mubarak, in an interview with Armed Forces newspaper marking the 34th anniversary of the October 1973 war, commended the Egyptian forces for liberating the Sinai peninsula from a six-year Israeli occupation.
He said this war proved the ability of the Arab to acheiving just peace.
The war, Mubarak said, “transformed Egypt and the Arab nation from turmoil to complete self-confidence and ability to meet the objectives.”
Mubarak, meanwhile, said the stalemate in the Middle East peace process might trigger new crises which could not be controlled amidst different interests of parties involved in the peace process.
“Stalemate in the peace process will only cause more anger, hatred, frustration, more violence and extremism and losing mutual confidence and to prolong the conflict for future generation …,” said Mubarak.
He said the Palestinian cause was the core problem of all troubles in the Middle East, and solving it would push forward the peace process on all tracks. “It is time to break the deadlock of the peace process and that everybody commits to reaching a final settlement that guarantees just and comprehensive peace, ends occupation and returns the rights” to the Arabs, he said.
Mubarak hoped the US-sponsored international conference, due next month, would break the impasse in the Middle East peace process.
Mubarak said the developments in the Gaza Strip harmed the Palestinians, and added that Egypt was backing the Palestinian legitimate leadership.
On Iraq, the Egyptian President warned against sectarian and ethnic division. He rejected any calls to partition Iraq under any pretext.