Rice prods Arab allies on political freedoms

CAIRO - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has criticised emergency law, arbitrary justice and violence against peaceful demonstrators in Egypt and called on the Cairo government to "put its faith" in the people.

It was some of the toughest criticism of Egypt by a senior US official. Rice went on to call for more political freedoms in Saudi Arabia, the next stop on her trip. But her calls were met with a cool response in both countries.

The criticism came in Rice's first visit as secretary of state to each of the two countries, which have enjoyed close relations with Washington for decades but are now facing greater US scrutiny of their human rights records.

For the first time, Egyptians will hold direct presidential elections with more than one candidate in September -- a change which Rice described as encouraging even though analysts say President Hosni Mubarak is unlikely to face a serious rival.

"President Mubarak has unlocked the door for change. But now, the Egyptian government must put its faith in its own people," Rice told an audience of several hundred in Cairo.

"We are all concerned for the future of Egypt's reforms when peaceful supporters of democracy -- men and women -- are not free from violence. The day must come when the rule of law replaces emergency decrees, and when the independent judiciary replaces arbitrary justice," she added.

On May 25, the day of a referendum on changing the system for presidential elections, Mubarak supporters beat up demonstrators and molested the women among them.

In Saudi Arabia, the top US diplomat criticised the kingdom for jailing three activists last month after they petitioned for the monarchy to move toward a constitutional model, saying appeals for reform were not a crime.

"In Saudi Arabia, brave citizens are demanding accountable government," she said in a major policy speech on Middle East democracy delivered in Cairo.

SCEPTICAL RESPONSE

But in a sign of skepticism about US credibility on rights in the Middle East, Egypt's foreign minister at a joint news conference said the world was angry with America due to scandals involving prisoner treatment.

In contrast to its rhetoric against foes such as Iran and Syria, the US administration typically tempers its criticism of Saudi Arabia and Egypt, allies which help US policies ranging from oil prices to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

But President Bush has pledged to make rights and democracy a central plank of US relations with countries in the region this year.

The audience in Cairo of academics and political analysts gave Rice scant applause during her policy speech on democracy. But they applauded loudly questions about US mistreatment of detainees and alleged Israeli abuse of Palestinians.

A group of Egyptian reformers also told Rice that US actions in Iraq and those of its ally Israel against the Palestinians obstruct their work.

In Riyadh, at a joint news conference that stretched into early Tuesday, Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said he had not read Rice's Cairo speech and added his country, home to Islam's holiest cities, could not accept reforms from outside.

"The assessment that is important for any country in the development of its political reform is the judgment of its own people," Prince Saud said.

Human rights campaigners hailed Rice for raising the activists issue despite traditional US reluctance to criticise Saudi Arabia.

Lawyers for the three will appeal the sentences on Tuesday.

But Prince Saud told Rice the activists had broken the law and that the government would not intervene on behalf of the three men, jailed for between six and nine years.

- REUTERS