Source: Charlie Rose Show
Arriving in Washington for the first time in 5 years, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has been eager to show that he is back in the good graces of the White House. The timing of his visit is of particular importance, given Egypt’s role in the Arab-Israeli peace process and the expected announcement by the Obama administration of a new peace initiative to break the current impasse. According to Michele Dunne, Mubarak “wanted to get in his thoughts before Obama announces his peace initiative. He is pressing Obama to be forceful and even impose a solution.”
President Mubarak is 81 and in ailing health. Who will succeed him is a “mega-issue” in the Egyptian street right now. Mubarak has not given a firm indication that he will run for office again in two years. However, Dunne suggests, “Clearly his son [Gamal] is being positioned in every way, through the constitution, through the ruling party, through new laws that have been passed. He is the logical candidate for the ruling party to put up. He isn’t the only possibility, but there has been a large framework for Gamal to succeed.”
Ultimately, what happens in Egypt will be closely scrutinized, because what happens there “counts tremendously in the Arab world. Whether or not there will be reform or a move towards a more open political system is hugely important for the rest of the region.”