By AP, JPOST.COM STAFFmubarak 88(photo credit: )
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak declared Wednesday at a press conference that his country did not plan on going to war with Israel, regardless of the latest conflict with Lebanon.
"The Military of Egypt's purpose is solely to protect the country, and does not have any other objective," said Mubarak after pressures on his government to intervene by sending troops to Lebanon.
"It is not its [Egypt's] war," Mubarak told al-Gomhouria daily, adding that Egypt had too many social problems at home.
The president also said that Israel would not attack Egypt "under any circumstances."
"The time of foreign adventures is over," Mubarak was quoted as saying in a government newspaper published Wednesday.
"This was possible at a time when the Egyptian population was 24 million only, but it is not possible now with 75 million citizens in need of development, services, job opportunities and residential projects," Mubarak said.
It was important, he said, to avoid "vain adventures" which would cost the Egyptian people "a lot."
Mubarak dismissed "baseless" claims that Egypt had agreed to press Hizbullah to compromise in return for Washington agreeing to stop pressing Cairo for broader democratic reforms.
Mubarak did not comment on whether Egypt would provide troops if a new international peacekeeping force was deployed on the Israel-Lebanon border.
The president spoke to reporters during his return to Egypt from Saudi Arabia where he met King Abdullah on Tuesday. Both men again called for an immediate cease-fire.
