Soo...Who's the Muslim Brotherhood again? More Unqualified Cronies to the Rescue

In Mideast, Hughes Tries to 'Make a Connection'
Bush Adviser's First Diplomatic Tour Opens in Cairo

By Glenn Kessler
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, September 25, 2005; 4:03 PM

CAIRO, Sept. 25 -- Karen Hughes, the new public diplomacy czar charged with improving the United States' image, began her maiden diplomatic voyage Sunday by largely meeting in picturesque settings with Egyptian students who have benefited from American largess.

Hughes said she would steer clear of meeting representatives of Egypt's largest opposition group and a lunch scheduled for Monday with "opinion leaders" includes mostly people supportive of the government that has ruled the country under emergency decree for a quarter-century.

Outside her carefully vetted settings, interviews with ordinary Egyptians indicated deep anger at the policies of the Bush administration.

"You American people are 100 percent good," said Farouq Hickel, a bearded minivan driver who was walking past the Bab Zuwella, a 900-year-old Islamic monument restored with U.S. funds that Hughes toured. "We have no problems with Americans. But look at what Bush is doing -- he is messing up the world." He added that Hurricane Katrina was clearly God's revenge for President Bush's actions.

Hughes, who was recently confirmed as undersecretary of state, has attracted enormous attention in her new role, largely because she is one of the president's closest confidantes. While undersecretaries generally travel with a handful of aides, Hughes is bringing along a planeload of reporters, including representatives of all five U.S. networks, a correspondent from Al-Arabiya television and even a writer from GQ magazine.

Speaking to reporters for nearly an hour as she flew to Cairo, Hughes appeared to set a relatively low bar for judging the success of her mission.

"Many of the differences and many of the concerns are deep-seated and I'm probably not going to change many minds," Hughes said. "But if I make a connection with a person or two who I can keep following up with after I leave here on my trip, I would consider it a success."

Hughes betrayed some nervousness in her first diplomatic foray, which will also take her to Saudi Arabia and Turkey. This is her first visit to all three countries, and as she spoke to reporters she clutched briefing papers that appeared to be the diplomatic equivalent of Cliffs Notes. Turkey was a "democratic state" and Egypt was the "most populous" country in the region, the document said.

Asked if she was meeting with the Muslim Brotherhood, Hughes turned uncertainly to an aide and indicated she wasn't quite sure of the answer. The aide whispered back and Hughes replied, "We are respectful of Egypt's laws."

The activities of the Muslim Brotherhood are officially banned, but it is regarded as the country's largest opposition party and has pressed for a more open political system in Egypt, the stated goal of U.S. policy. She also has no plans to meet with representatives of Kifaya, an umbrella opposition group.

The magnitude of Hughes's task was demonstrated by the headlines of Sunday morning's edition of Le Progres Egyptien, a French-language publication. It featured Israel's attack in Gaza, a declaration that Egypt's reforms will never be imposed from above, new accusations of atrocities against the U.S. forces in Iraq and a feature on Bush being considered a greater menace than Osama bin Laden.

Hughes acknowledged that "it is a huge challenge" but said she would focus on contrasting the compassion of the United States with violent extremism. The administration's policies are offering "education, opportunity, freedom of speech and expression," she said. "Terrorists, their policies, force young people, other people's daughters and sons, to strap on bombs and blow themselves up."

Hughes traveled first to the 1,000-year-old Al-Azhar University for a meeting with Sunni Islamic leader Sheik Mohammed Sayyed Tantawi, who is close to the government and has spoken out against extremism. A recent fatwa by Tantawi -- saying normalization of ties with Israel was religiously acceptable -- has generated controversy and anger in Egypt. The local media speculated that he issued it because the Egyptian government recently deployed troops to guard the southern part of Gaza after Israel's withdrawal.

At Bab Zuwella, Hughes went up a tower to gaze over the city skyline. "It's magical," the former television reporter said. "A thousand minarets -- and satellite dishes."

Then she sat down with five high school exchange students who had spent a year living in the United States. Ahmed Gammal, 18, lived in Hudson, Ind., and said no one in the small town knew anything about Egypt. "When I said I was [from] Egypt, they asked, 'Do you ride camels or live in pyramids?' They were serious."

Police lined the side streets outside the site, suspiciously eyeing people who spoke to reporters. Mohamed Osman, a government employee, said Hughes's trip was potentially important because "Americans are biased against Islam -- look what they are doing in Iraq." But then he scurried away after two policemen stood on either side of him during the interview.

Amani Fikri, an editor at an opposition newspaper, tried to stay for the student event but was asked to leave. She said Hughes needed to tell Bush to change his policies, that he needed to stop backing nondemocratic governments in Egypt and across the Middle East.

"The American people are very good and kind," Fikri said, but added that Bush's reelection makes it "very difficult to differentiate between the American people and American policy. It's not about saying, but about doing. Not words, but actions."

Hughes also met with students -- who all received scholarships from a U.S.-funded program -- at the American University in Cairo, an elite institution that teaches in English. The students asked generally polite but occasionally pointed questions on Iraq and U.S. policy toward Syria and Iran.
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