Western officials believe Mubarak is terminally ill

Published 19.07.2010

Washington Times reports U.S. and European intelligence agencies are keeping close watch of developments in Egypt in order to assess possible succession scenarios.

By Haaretz Service

U.S. and European intelligence agencies believe Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is terminally ill and are keeping close watch of developments in Egypt in order to assess possible succession scenarios, according to a report Sunday in the Washington Times.

The Egyptian president is suffering, in all likelihood, from pancreatic and stomach cancer, and has about one year left to live, the Washington Times reported .

The Egyptian leader met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday to discuss developments in peace talks with the Palestinians, and also met with U.S. special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Haaretz reported about two weeks ago that Mubarak’s health has taken a serious turn for the worse, with fears that the 82-year-old is suffering from cancer.

In the wake of that report and others in Arab newspapers that Mubarak was seeking further medical treatment, Western intelligence agencies now believe Mubarak to be dying from terminal cancer that has spread to his stomach and pancreas, according to the Washington Times.

The Washington Times quotes Steven Cook, a senior fellow and Egyptian-affairs specialist at the Council on Foreign Relations, as saying that several sources have told him Mubarak is ailing and "that the end is near."

"When I was in Cairo in May, it was interesting. People were mellow about the prospect of him being ill. Everyone understood the end was near; the estimates were 12 to 18 months," Mr. Cook was quoted as saying.

The report also says a Central European intelligence official told the newspaper last week that his service estimates Mubarak will be dead within a year, before the country's presidential elections, which are slated for September 2011.

Meanwhile, U.S. officials told the paper that the National Intelligence Council and the U.S. Central Command have asked analysts to assess possible scenarios to occur after Mubarak's death and the ramification of the transition of power.

Mubarak was supposed to have met Netanyahu last week, but repeatedly postponed, causing Israeli officials to worry about the leader's failing health.

In March, the Egyptian president went to Germany for an operation that both his office and the hospital described as "complicated," though neither offered more elaborate details.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/report-western-officials-believe-mubarak-is-terminally-ill-1.302787