Israeli sources said today that the new Cabinet line-up in Egypt reflects a move by President Anwar Sadat to consolidate his own position rather than a desire to change his government’s policies. That assessment was based on the names available here so far of the new Egyptian ministers–men who are believed to be more loyal personally to Sadat and less of a challenge to his power than their predecessors.
The new Prime Minister, Dr. Aziz Sidky, 51, who is presently forming a government and the new Foreign Minister, Murad Ghaleb, are said to be no more pro-Soviet than the men they replaced. Sidky, as Deputy Premier and Minister of Industry and Petroleum in the old Cabinet negotiated a $600 million economic agreement with the USSR recently. But he is also the man instrumental in bringing American oil companies–Amoco and Phillips–into Egypt and negotiated with a West European consortium for the construction of a $330 million oil pipeline from Suez to Alexandria.
Former Premier Mahmoud Fawzi whom Sidky replaces supported Sadat but he is 72, an age at which the Egyptian President apparently feels one can no longer serve as an effective Prime Minister, the Israeli sources said. Fawzi has been retained as a top advisor to Sadat. Ghaleb served as Ambassador to the Soviet Union for about ten years. But he has made no obvious pro-Soviet pronouncements and appears to have an open mind on China.
The Israelis said his predecessor, Mahmoud Riad, may have demonstrated too much independence and was probably suspect by Sadat because of his closeness to the group around former Vice-President Aly Sabry who was tried for treason last year. Riad is known to have differed with Sadat over an interim agreement to reopen the Suez Canal. The former Foreign Minister maintained that it was a ruse by Israel to remain in the Sinai Indefinitely. Sadat on the other hand, appeared to favor negotiations for an interim agreement.
Last week-end Riad said in Kuwait that the US had disqualified itself from the role of Intermediary in a Suez agreement. In his speech a day earlier, Sadat criticized the US but did not rule out further mediation by Washington.
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