Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said Thursday he hoped the US bombing of Afghanistan would end before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, but added that such a halt would depend on the situation on the ground.
"I hope this campaign will finish before the month of Ramadan," later in November, Mubarak told reporters in Madrid at a joint press conference with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, quoted by AFP and the local press.
But Mubarak said that "when you are dealing with fighting and military operations, you cannot guarantee what the military situation will be and whether operations can be stopped without benefiting the other side."
"However, with all my heart, I hope the campaign can finish before Ramadan," he said, adding that he hoped the US-led campaign would not spread to other countries.
The Egyptian president, despite full support shown for the anti-terrorism campaign, has expressed reservations over the coalition, civilian casualties and the possible expansion of the scope of the war.
He has called on the US and its allies to first tackle the root causes of terrorism, namely, the Middle East conflict and the 34-year Israeli occupation of Palestinian land outside its UN-delineated boundaries.
The Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan is due to begin in mid-November, but US officials have indicated that there will be no pause in the military strikes against the ruling Taliban militia in Afghanistan, Al Jazeera satellite channel said.
Aznar also called for an early end to the war, said AFP.
"The earlier it ends, the better it will be, but we know that the struggle against terrorism is not one for impatient people."
"The important thing is eradicating terrorism," Aznar said, adding that the war "is neither with the Arab World, nor with Islam, nor with a culture. This is an operation against terrorism."
The two leaders, meeting one day before a regional Mediterranean conference that will see Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres seated at the same table, called for international cooperation in getting the Middle East peace process back on track.
Mubarak said he had "a deep wish to see strict cooperation between the United States, the European Union, and Russia to give a new impetus to the peace process."
"It will have positive repercussions for everyone, not just for the Israelis and Palestinians," he added.
"To leave the situation as it is could have extremely serious consequences, with effects in other parts of the world," he warned.
"Terrorism could find favorable terrain in the Middle East if Israeli violence continues," he added, while condemning Israeli assassinations of Palestinian officials.
The views of Mubarak and Aznar clashed momentarily, when Mubarak said "we cannot deny the Palestinians the right to combat their occupation" by Israel.
Meanwhile, Aznar said that "There is no justification for terrorist actions - all terrorists are equal and must be fought as such."
Mubarak also met with King Juan Carlos at a lunch banquet in the Royal Palace – Albawaba.com
