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Softly Does It

Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher and the power of the word.

Diplomats -- the firefighters and emergency room technicians of world politics -- are well aware of the power of the word. Knowing that a hastily chosen word can have serious consequences, they often opt for the vague, dull word rather than the precise, sharp word.

By that rule, Amr Moussa was extraordinary as Egypt's foreign minister. His words were blunt, eloquent, rousing, sometimes surprisingly brash. The sense that his words were an unvarnished reflection of the public's will lent him an unusual stature and popularity in his 10 years in the post. Some even called him "the foreign minister of the Arab world."

So there was a large void this spring when Moussa left the Egyptian government for the office of secretary-general of the regional Arab League. President Hosni Mubarak named as his successor Ahmed Maher, who during a lifelong career in the Foreign Ministry cultivated a reputation as a careful and soft-spoken diplomat.

No doubt, Maher's credentials were sterling: He'd served tours of duty in Moscow, Washington, Europe and Africa and had been involved in key peace talks with the Israelis for decades. Still, analysts predicted a sudden pressure drop in the rhetorical force of the Foreign Minister's office. Pundits wondered how the change in style would affect the way the Egyptian government swayed its public and the Arab world of which Egypt sees itself as the leader.

Bahgat Korany, a political science professor at the American University in Cairo and a frequent writer on Arab foreign policy, first met Moussa more than 20 years ago. But he distinctly recalls the encounter because, Korany says, he was struck by how Moussa uttered words "like a river flows."

Korany says his first meeting with Ahmed Maher was less dramatic. "He talks, he drives his point quietly, and you feel that you are in the company of a diplomat, nothing more," Korany recalls. "I would say Maher is much more of the traditional, conventional diplomat. He has been in the high circles of superpower diplomacy, where the language is much quieter because you're dealing with much more difficult issues."

But the severity of the issues facing the new foreign minister quickly made such comparisons seem secondary. As Maher was sworn in on May 16, thousands of Palestinians were demanding revenge for the killings of five Palestinian policemen in an Israeli attack in Ramallah the previous day. After the ceremony, Maher headed into an urgent meeting with Mubarak and Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat.

STERN WORDS

By August, the "soft-spoken" label often attached to Maher was replaced with "plain-spoken." Addressing reporters in Cairo, Maher criticized Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his government for preemptively killing Palestinians they suspect plan attacks on Israelis. "It is unprecedented for a government to become a gang which assassinates people, which uses the methods of gangs in assassinating people," Maher said. "No civilized government which believes in the law can accept this behavior."

The choice of words struck a nerve. Sharon retorted that Maher's "gang of assassins" comment amounted to an incitement by the Egyptian government. The Israeli newspaper Ma'ariv editorialized that Egypt was undermining its ability to serve as an impartial mediator in the conflict.

So while he has eschewed the populist appeal of his predecessor, Maher nevertheless has not spared stern words for the Sharon administration. Reporters were fixated on the U.S.-European bombing of Afghanistan when Maher spoke at AUC the day after the raids began; Maher devoted the bulk of his speech to the Palestinian question. Even when he directly addressed the U.S. war against international terrorism, Maher frequently merged that subject with the drive for peace in the Palestinian territories.

"Persecution," like that suffered by Palestinians, "creates an unhealthy atmosphere which can be exploited by terrorists," Maher told a capacity audience in AUC's Ewart Hall. As he decried terrorists, his comments took an emotional arc that belied his button-down reputation. "In order to counter these people, we should build a front of people who can live together," Maher said. "The situation that we encounter in Palestine today is very serious. Seeing these scenes, I do not think that anyone who has his heart and mind in the right place could not commiserate with the Palestinians."

The appeal to human sentiment is no surprise to people who know Maher. Mona Zaki, a family friend, believes Maher is a moving speaker in his own right, especially on a personal level. She recalls that, at a dinner early this year in honor of former French Ambassador Jacques Andreani, attendees were touched when Maher rose and delivered warm words for Andreani, extemporaneously, in French -- then translated it in to English and Arabic. "You found him to be down to earth," remembers Zaki, an AUC professor and administrator. "He doesn't impose, but he's extremely eloquent when he talks."

A LEVEL APPROACH

That said, the Minister Maher is not one to bang the lectern. In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks that killed some 7,000 in New York and Washington, while Arabs worried that the U.S. would retaliate excessively, Maher's words were level and composed. In the wake of the incident, Maher stressed that the U.S. should complete an investigation, present solid evidence and reach an international consensus before taking action. "There are many presumptions and, if these presumptions become more specific, those would constitute a good case before international opinion," Maher told CNN on September 26.

By the time the U.S. began air raids on Afghanistan on October 7, it had presented evidence in private to world leaders. Only Britain and some European countries were participating militarily, while some former Soviet republics lent the use of bases. Asked the next day whether the U.S. effort had been sufficient, Maher was delicate. "We are not the investigators. We believe in the judicial system of the United States." After some hesitation, he added: "That is all. I believe if we had to investigate it ourselves, I'm sure I would have more of an answer. But the U.S. and other countries are convinced the proofs they have are convincing. I am sure they would not act without solid evidence."

SMOOTH TALKING

While Maher appreciates the need for prudence under pressure, having his every word examined under a microscope is not an aspect of the job that he relishes. "I never prepared for the post of minister of foreign affairs. You cannot prepare for this job, I tell you," Maher elaborates. "You can be an ambassador. You cannot see the magnitude of the issues you face until you sit in this chair. It's a daunting job, I tell you. One of the most daunting moments is when you face a learned audience and have to answer questions, with everyone having their eyes riveted on you, all trying to listen to what you say, trying to find something wrong [or] subject to different interpretations. I tell you, it's frightening," he says, smiling and shaking his head with exaggerated weariness.

In fact, not talking too much is one of Maher's lessons for success. "The key to this job is to listen more than talk. To try to understand the point of view of the other person. To be curious. To be honest. Never lie," Maher cautions. "Somebody said that a diplomat is somebody paid to lie for their country. That doesn't work anymore. A lie has a short life. If you lie, you lose trust. If you lose trust, you lose any effectiveness." Maher's eyebrow lifts with a hint of slyness. Then he offers an insight into how a diplomat can maintain integrity while remaining prudent. "Mind you, you can hide part of the truth," he says, smiling at his own bluntness. "But never lie. Say no untruths; say half of it. It's OK. I don't think I've lied today," he concludes.

The new minister doesn't show much interest in personal celebrity, either. One journalist who covered the Foreign Ministry for half a year related that Maher never granted a one-on-one interview in that time. When Egypt Today submitted questions that touched on the Foreign Minister's style and personality, Maher declined to respond, saying through a spokesman that he did not care to spend time on "that kind of interview."

Even at last month's AUC appearance, Maher firmly refused to field questions from the gaggle of reporters that had come to hear more on Egypt's official reaction to the U.S.-European air raids on Afghanistan. As camera crews staked him out before his speech, an aide informed them that Maher would not come to the stage unless they took their seats.

Afterward, Maher headed for refreshments in a courtyard, trying to ignore the media pack trailing him. As one television reporter pressed forward insistently, Maher temporarily disappeared from view. The sound of crashing glass sent panic through onlookers; when the crowd parted, it was apparent that a waiter had been overcome by the crush, upending his tray of drinks.

Firm words from bodyguards dispersed the media. As Maher wiped droplets of orange juice from his suit jacket, he found humor in the situation. "Where is the man responsible for this?" he asked in mock outrage. ET

by Dan Bernard

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