In a telephone interview with the Egyptian daily Al-Masri Al-Yawm from his hospital bed, published April 3, 2014, former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak refuted rumors from recent days that he had died, saying that he "feels fine." Expressing his support for the presidential candidacy of Field Marshal 'Abd Al-Fattah Al-Sisi, he said that he had in effect already been elected because no one else in the political arena was worthy of the post. He also explained his concern about the Muslim Brotherhood's (MB's) reaction to Al-Sisi's rise to power and called to be "very vigilant, from now until the presidential elections are over."
Mubarak claimed that the MB was seeking to take over the Suez Canal so as to enable the Jews to infiltrate Egypt in order to conquer the Sinai, as part of a joint Qatar-U.S. operation. He added that he does not trust the Americans, who he said are pressuring Egypt to include the MB in its political process, and underlined that during his own presidency he had strongly rejected such inclusion. He also referred to Saudi Arabia and the UAE as honorable countries that are supporters of Egypt.
Following are excerpts from the interview:
Al-Sisi "Has In Effect Already Been Elected"
"Question: Do you support Al-Sisi?
"Answer: The people have spoken, and he has in effect already been elected. There is no one else but him in the political arena."
I Have Never Trusted The Americans
"Question: It seems that the U.S. and some Western countries do not support you.
"Answer: The U.S. is applying pressure so that the MB will participate in the political process. Delaying the shipment of military aircraft is nothing but the latest expression of this pressure. All of this is in order to subdue Egypt and embarrass its leaders...
"They tried the same thing with me. They likewise demanded that the MB participate in the political process in return for American grants and support for the Egyptian military, but I was not willing to cooperate with them.
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"Question: Will British pressure influence Qatar's position on Egypt?
"Answer: By God, they are all [such] children. They all run around in circles. Egypt doesn't matter to them, even if it goes to hell. I have never trusted the Americans or the Qataris. I present as evidence the fact that Qatar's current ruler rebelled against his father, and his father rebelled against his grandfather. I want to tell you that Qatar's rulers are in the sorriest [state]. As long as there is an American base in their territory, you know that the Americans are putting Qatar in their pocket. [You can see,] for instance, that the father of Tamim, Qatar's ruler, went to America and sat [there] for three weeks without meeting the president. George Bush always refused to meet him. Such are the Americans, as long as they have you in their pocket...
"Question: What about the position of the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and their support for Egypt after June 30 [2013, the ouster of Egyptian president Muhammad Mursi]?
"Answer: Truthfully, these honorable countries strongly support Egypt, but we must work hard because they will not support us forever, and no economy can be based on foreign aid [alone]."
The MB Has Enabled Jewish, American, And Qatari Plans To Conquer Sinai
"Question: Is there a connection between the UAE's support [for Egypt] and the Suez Canal development project...?
"Answer: I hear rumors about this. I don't have enough information and I am not convinced of it. In the past, the MB strove to take over the eastern bank of the Suez Canal in order to bring foreign companies there on foreign passports. But they actually were Jews, who are continuing to spread out, building facilities and places until they reach Al-Arish. In such a scenario, we will lose the Sinai because of the Israeli companies that occupy it. Likewise, they might also be entering it on U.S. passport[s] except they are Israeli citizens. If they want to invest in the sea, why don't they go to Al-'Ain Al-Sukhna [a tourist and industrial town on the Gulf of Suez], for instance, and revive its port? What they mean [by going to] the [eastern] bank of the Suez Canal means that they want the Sinai, if truth be told.
"Question: Did [Egyptian] intelligence know about this plan?
"Answer: By Allah, not just our intelligence – the entire world knew about the plans of the MB, the Jews, the Americans, and the Qataris."
My Role In The Service Of The Country Has Ended
"Question: What is your opinion on the candidacy of Egyptian Popular Current founder Hamdeen Sabahi?
"Answer: Everyone is entitled to submit their candidacy, but I object to the exploitation of the name of 'Abd Al-Nasser.[1]
"Question: Do some people see him as the continuation of the late president Gamal 'Abd Al-Nasser?
"Answer: Forget this business about 'Abd Al-Nasser. They harp on 'Abd Al-Nasser and his regime experience, but 'Abd Al-Nasser belonged to all of us.
"Question: Some citizens have submitted applications to have you run [for president] in the coming elections.
"Answer: No, I've had enough. I'm tired of being responsible. I dealt with wars for 30 years of my life in the ranks of the Egyptian military, and ruled the country for 30 years as best I could, but my role has ended."
[1] Up until 1996, Sabahi was a member of the Arab Democratic Nasserist Party. He then founded the Al-Karama party on a similar ideological basis.
