(Washington Times) Ben Birnbaum - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak compared Iran's growing influence in the Middle East to a "cancer," according to a cable released by WikiLeaks. "President Mubarak has made it clear that he sees Iran as Egypt's - and the region's - primary strategic threat," says the secret cable, sent April 28, 2009, from the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. "While he will readily admit that the Iranian nuclear program is a strategic and existential threat to Egypt and the region, he sees that threat as relatively 'long term.' What has seized his immediate attention are Iran's non-nuclear destabilizing actions such as support for Hamas, media attacks, weapons and illicit funds smuggling, all of which add up in his mind to 'Iranian influence spreading like a cancer from the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council countries] to Morocco.'"
2010-12-16 09:56:04Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive