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WINNING THE PEACE
Traveling to America as AmCham president
with such a focused, professional DoorKnock delegation was a privilege.
It was an excellent, diverse team, and we needed to be on our toes
to handle 60 meetings in five days, during which we covered as many
high-level bases as possible, Republican and Democrat alike. Aside
from discussions with think tanks and US media, we met with seven
senators, 23 members of the House of Representatives and senior
officials from many departments, including defense, state energy,
trade, commerce and USAID. As this line-up suggests, and following
the trend of the last few years, our meetings had strong political
overtones, but in all our encounters we tried to convey the views
and concerns of Egypt’s private sector regarding commercial
relations with America as well as the current situation in our region.
One thing was abundantly clear: winning the peace in Iraq is at
the top of every agenda. An indication of how Iraq dominates American
politics is the fact that for now, less attention is being paid
to the US economy, which is unusual so close to elections. As you
know, the US administration sought $87 billion for its ongoing efforts
in Iraq, with $67 billion slated for the military and $20 billion
for reconstruction. The allocation of that $20 billion was under
scrutiny, with the Bush administration asking for the entire amount
in the form of grants. The message being conveyed is that America
recognizes its responsibility, is ready to shoulder the burden of
amassing funds for reconstruction, and primarily, that it will not
rely on Iraqi oil resources to finance rebuilding.
Despite the ongoing debate, the administration will essentially
get what it wants in terms of assistance for Iraq. Japan’s
commitment of $1.5 billion (for reconstruction), was a boost for
the Bush administration which will probably be amplified at the
donors’ conference in Madrid. The question we should ponder,
is what role can we play in the reconstruction effort to help the
Iraqi people and serve the best interests of Egypt and our economy?
We should be a significant provider of goods and services; that’s
the kind of export activity Egypt needs now. Egypt’s private
sector should be involved, and AmCham plans to act as an information
hub regarding projects and opportunities in Iraq. During our visit
we met with all those concerned with Iraq reconstruction and we
agreed to keep channels of communication open. No one can be sure
exactly who they’ll be dealing with following the US elections,
but we know that Middle East development will continue regardless
and Egypt will be an active participant in the process.
The fact that US presidential elections loom large on the horizon
has lent urgency to American foreign policy issues. Considering
conditions in the region, America has set a high bar for itself
by defining success in Iraq as improving the lives of the Iraqi
people through implementing democracy and ensuring reconstruction.
These goals are now imperative to the credibility and even the legitimacy
of the United States. But they are also imperative to the stability
of our region, in which we all have a stake. Success and stability
are therefore non-negotiable.
Although the US has made Iraq its priority, far more attention and
direct participation is needed from the US to resolve the Palestinian
issue, which is a priority for the people of our region. By recognizing
and fulfilling the region’s priorities, hopes and aspirations
America can come a long way in achieving its own objectives in our
part of the world.
With this in mind, the AmCham delegation repeatedly underlined that
peace is paramount to cure the region’s economic ills and the
best weapon in the war against terrorism, America’s ultimate
objective. Ending the Israeli occupation and getting the Road Map
back on track is close to every Arab’s heart. If America is
to win the peace in the region, it must first win the hearts and
minds of the people.
Taher S. Helmy
President, AmCham Egypt
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