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UNDERSTANDING AMERICA This year’s DoorKnock delegation was one of the largest to ever travel to the US. Our optimism at the outset of the trip was based on real accomplishments in terms of monetary, fiscal and trade policy improvements – all the work of our new government. Surprisingly, these many important improvements were largely unknown in America, except among a few close followers of Egyptian affairs. After over 100 meetings, however, we’d made our point, namely, that understanding Egypt’s fresh momentum requires a broad perspective. We delivered the facts and they made a strong impression. Although we’re accustomed to hearing “friendly complaints,” about Egypt’s “halting” reform, we heard no such critique this time around. On the political front, President Mubarak’s announcement of the amendment of Article 76 came just prior to our trip, underscoring everything we had to say about Egypt’s new direction. Nevertheless, we had to outline the implications of this remarkable shift in stance. We emphasized how, for the first time in its millennial history, our country will have competitive elections and that the way is now open for civilian rule. In fact, the face of political life in Egypt will change dramatically as a result of this decision, which I believe will be seen as President Mubarak’s most important legacy. While we conveyed the impact of the amendment change, we nevertheless met with suspicions. It was as if some of our interlocutors thought that all of this was a little too good to be true. Indeed, Ayman Noor’s detainment overshadowed our discussions. In the absence of a broader understanding of Egyptian affairs many Americans focused on this detail. If only Noor’s release had taken place while we still had our audience! As it was, it occurred a day after our mission, completing the picture we had drawn. In our meetings with Congress, leading think tanks, senior member of the administration, foreign policy advisers, media representatives and the business community, we realized once more that these DoorKnock missions are essential. No matter how well informed people might be, they need to hear the voices of those directly involved in the process of reform. Minister of Foreign Trade and Industry Rachid Mohamed Rachid was present in the US during the DoorKnock, and helped coordinate some key events. He was honored at a major luncheon event, co-sponsored by AmCham Egypt and the US Chamber of Commerce, held in the Hall of Flags, the US Chamber premises and attended by several hundred members of the business community. Likewise, a luncheon at the prestigious Institute for International Economics held in cooperation with the Egyptian Center for Economic Studies was a huge success. Professor Robert Lawrence, Harvard economist, and Ahmed Galal, executive director of ECES, presented findings from their joint study of the economic and political benefits of a free trade agreement between Egypt and the US. Minister Rachid and myself both commented on their presentation. I also spoke at a breakfast meeting at the influential Council of Foreign Relations as well as in the House and Senate. As in our other meetings in Congress, excellent attendance was in great part owed to the efforts of the staffers that AmCham Egypt hosted over the last few years. There is no substitute for face-to-face interaction and we’ve seen the benefits increase annually in Washington. Despite challenging discussions, it was clear that the relationship between Egypt and the US remains strong. While the DoorKnock is a prime opportunity to inform Americans about our political and economic landscapes, it also gives us a chance to evaluate America’s most pressing concerns. The current US administration feels that past foreign policy was wrong to encourage strong regimes as a means of ensuring stability, whereas stability comes only through democracy. However, the emphasis was not merely on democratization for its own sake, but on the fact that in its absence, America’s national security may be endangered. Significantly, Iraq was no longer an issue since democratization is seen to have begun there. Advocating liberty and democracy as the basis for national security is not just the prime objective of American foreign policy, it is practically an ideology, the bottom line aftermath of 9/11. Over and over, we heard the same ideas repeated, using the same words and phrases. This overwhelming concern with national security is here to stay, and we, along with the rest of the world, will have to learn to deal with it as best we can, and in Egypt’s best interests. I’d like to warmly thank the AmCham delegation for their dedication and tireless efforts, as well as the AmCham staff for their superb coordination and support. These missions are complex, both logistically and in terms of information organization and diffusion. AmCham Egypt has become expert at carrying the DoorKnocks off successfully, that is, in the interest of achieving a deeper understanding between our two countries. Taher S. Helmy |
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