Egypt is not Tunisia, says Italian FM

ROME / IraqiNews.com:  “Egypt is not Tunisia: they have a different, incomparable situation.  In Egypt there is a thrust towards Islamic fundamentalism and radical extremism,” said Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, speaking about the situation in Egypt on Radio Anch’io. In Tunisia “there was a popular rebellion that was not motivated by Islamic extremism, in Egypt this factor may exist,” added Frattini.  While responding to a question on a possible successor to Mubarak, Frattini underlined: “I would be very worried about the idea of a proliferation of governments fed by religious or theocratic parties close to the borders of Europe.” “Today it is unimaginable to think that we could provide a model, and suggest who the new leader will be: the rule, which is slightly post-colonialist, is that we cannot dictate.  The Arab countries will never accept it” and “we would create a popular reaction that we cannot afford,” explained the head of diplomacy. Frattini underlined that it is necessary “to look to civil society, the secular society that does not want and does not accept the replacement” of a government like that of Ben Ali in Tunisia with “radical Islamic regimes, theocracies.  That is what we should be encouraging”. SH (TS) 235