Gephardt to Egypt Amcham

A tale of shared values and humanity

by Tarek Atia

(cairolive.com, January 19, 2002) Congressman Dick Gephardt -- a man who has run for president of the United States more than once -- was complaining that people around the world knew more about America from TV shows like Baywatch, MTV and Beverly Hills 90210 than the writing, speeches and fireside chats of Thomas Jefferson, Abe Lincoln and FDR.

Gephardt, a Democrat from Missouri, was in Egypt, and the Middle East, on a tour with four other congressmen -- Ray LaHood (R-Illinois), Ciro Rodriguez (D-Texas), Henry Waxman (D-California), and Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa). They had met President Mubarak, and were speaking at a luncheon with the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt. The visit came in the midst of a lot of political networking going on between the two countries, with visits constantly being exchanged, and Gephardt and his group were here to discuss -- among other things -- the possibility of an impending Free Trade Agreement between Egypt and the States.

September 11 and its aftermath -- the war on Afghanistan, and what comes next -- shaded everything about the forum. Gephardt's opening remarks focused almost solely on their impact. After September 11, Gephardt said, it has become more important to talk about values, specifically those shared by both Egyptians and Americans. He doesn't believe in a clash of civilizations. He believes instead that the clash to come is a competition between the great majority who want to live with governance and order, and a small minority who thrive on chaos.

The US had just fast-tracked a big chunk of Egypt's USAID package, a rescue effort for the devalued Egyptian economy post-911. But business said it wanted more -- a Free Trade Agreement. Gephardt said Jordan's Free Trade Agreement with the US served as a good model. The US was comfortable with the human rights, labor and environment there, and needed to be comfy about these elements with other countries in order to plunge into an FTA. But, Gephardt assured, the general idea of opening up more trade is supported in Congress.

Gephardt, who serves as House Minority Leader, says he is an optimist. The conversations around the room may have told a different story. Exporters were complaining that shipments to the West had been cancelled just because the country of origin was Syria. The businessmen were having to redirect their interests, and deal with the ideological crisis at hand.

The war was clearly the flash point here. And it was also on this subject that the congressional delegation's members revealed whether or not they were coalition builders.

Ray La Hood called the coalition against terrorism fragile, arguing that attacking Saddam would bother our Arab friends. Waxman, a Democrat who supports Bush, says Arab leaders encourage propaganda against the US to deflect attention from themselves. His tirade sounded like it was straight out of a MEMRI press release. Gephardt also said he was very concerned about "the information flow in this part of the world."

Rodriguez was more of a coalition builder. "Just cuz we can do it doesn't mean we shouldn't consult with our friends and allies as to what is the best approach. I think as Americans," he said, "we need to be more humble."

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