• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

DATE=12/17/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-243153
TITLE=EGYPT / IRAQ (L ONLY)
BYLINE=RICHARD ENGEL
DATELINE=CAIRO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  SEVERAL THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE DEMONSTRATED IN CAIRO TO 
PROTEST THE U-S AND BRITISH AIR STRIKES AGAINST IRAQ.  RICHARD 
ENGEL REPORTS FROM THE EGYPTIAN CAPITAL. 
TEXT:  PROTESTS ARE  NOT  LEGAL IN EGYPT.  BUT SEVERAL THOUSAND 
PEOPLE DEMONSTRATED ANYWAY IN FRONT OF CAIRO UNIVERSITY AND IN 
NEARBY STREETS.  POLICE DISPERSED THE PROTESTERS.  BUT REPORTS 
SAID THERE WERE A NUMBER OF ARRESTS..
EGYPTIANS WHO WERE QUESTIONED ABOUT THE U-S AND BRITISH ATTACKS 
GENERALLY CRITICIZED THE MISSILE STRIKES.
AHMED, WHO SAT DRINKING TEA IN A COFFEE SHOP, SAID HE BELIEVES 
THE ATTACKS WILL ONLY HARM THE IRAQI PEOPLE AND  NOT  THE 
COUNTRY'S LEADERSHIP.
          ///  AHMED ACT - IN ARABIC - FADE UNDER  ///
AHMED SAYS HE HOPES THERE WILL BE  NO  MORE STRIKES. 
ONE RESTAURANT OWNER SAYS MUSLIMS AND ARABS SHOULD UNITE BEHIND 
IRAQ.
    ///  RESTAURANT OWNER ACT - IN ARABIC - FADE UNDER  /// 
HE SAYS ALL MUSLIMS ARE BROTHERS AND THAT AN ATTACK AGAINST ONE 
IS AN ATTACK AGAINST ALL.
A LAWYER NAMED FIKRY SAYS ALL EGYPTIANS FEEL SORRY FOR THE IRAQI 
PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN SUFFERING UNDER INTERNATIONAL SANCTIONS 
SINCE THE GULF WAR.
          ///  FIKRY ACT - IN ARABIC - FADE UNDER  ///
HE ADDS THAT IN HIS NEIGHBORHOOD EVERYONE AGREES THE STRIKE WAS 
UNPROVOKED BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IRAQ  NO  LONGER HAS WEAPONS OF 
MASS DESTRUCTION.
A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT NAMED JOHN SAYS HE BELIEVES THE ATTACK IS 
AN ATTEMPT BY PRESIDENT CLINTON TO DISTRACT INTERNATIONAL 
ATTENTION FROM FAILURES IN THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS AND HIS 
OWN SCANDALS.  
                       ///  JOHN ACT  ///
         THE PRESIDENT IS JUST TRYING TO GET THE PEOPLE'S 
         ATTENTION TO SOMETHING ELSE SO THEY WOULD FORGET THE 
         PROBLEM IN ISRAEL AND THE PROBLEM WITH MONICA LEWINSKI. 
                        ///  END ACT  ///
MEDIA REACTION HAS BEEN LIMITED  THE ATTACK AGAINST IRAQ CAME 
AFTER NEWSPAPERS IN THE MIDDLE EAST HAD ALREADY GONE TO PRINT.  
(SIGNED) 
NEB/RHE/JWH
17-Dec-98 7:15 AM EST (1215 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.