Amr Moussa

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox officeholder Amr Muhammad Moussa (Template:Langx, Template:IPA; born 3 October 1936) is an Egyptian politician and diplomat who was the Secretary-General of the Arab League, a 22-member forum representing Arab states, from 1 June 2001 to 1 July 2011. Previously he served in the government of Egypt as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1991 to 2001. On 8 September 2013, he was elected president of the committee of 50 that will amend the Egyptian constitution.<ref name="ao8sept">Template:Cite news</ref>

Early life

He was born on 3 October 1936 in Cairo, Egypt, the son of former parliamentarian Muhammad Moussa. His father also had a son named Pierre during his studies in France in the 1920s. However, Moussa's half-brother Pierre is a French citizen and has no ties to Egypt.<ref>Amr Moussa: No, I don’t have an Israeli half-brother, Times of Israel, by Elhanan Miller, dated 6 April 2012.</ref>

Moussa finished his education after earning a degree in law from Cairo University in 1957.Template:Citation needed

Diplomatic career

Moussa then began his diplomatic career between 1958 and 1972 he worked in several missions, including Egypt's Embassy in Switzerland and the Egyptian mission to the United Nations. From 1974 to 1977, he was an advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. From 1977 to 1981 and again from 1983 to 1990, he was the Director of the Department of International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 1981 to 1983, Moussa was the Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, then from 1983 to 1986 Ambassador to India.<ref name=lat11>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1990, he was promoted Permanent Representative of Egypt to the United Nations. He was named Minister of Foreign Affairs by Prime Minister Atef Sedki on 20 May 1991. He was minister until 15 May 2001 when he was elected as Secretary-General of the Arab League.

Moussa has been heavily involved with Egypt's foreign policy since 1958. He was Egypt's ambassador to the United Nations, India, and Switzerland for a total of 21 years. Moussa was one of the Arab and international diplomats who tried to resolve the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990). After serving as Egypt's Foreign Minister from 1991 to 2001, he served as the Secretary General of the Arab League.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Moussa has been an extremely popular political figure in Egypt due to his criticism of Israeli policies towards Gaza and the West Bank.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In August 1994, Moussa made his first official visit to Israel—a visit marked by tension and controversy. Moussa drew criticism from Israeli commentators for declining to visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, a customary stop for visiting dignitaries, and for focusing his agenda entirely on pressing Israel to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). At a joint press conference with Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, Moussa argued that Israel’s nuclear capability posed a threat to Egypt, while Peres responded by emphasizing Israel’s peaceful intentions and comparing the situation to the United States’ possession of nuclear weapons.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

At the Forum for new diplomacy in February 2010, Moussa gave a speech in which he criticized the U.S. government's double standard supporting Israel's nuclear weapons policy but not allowing Iran to pursue nuclear energy. He also criticized Western countries, including the U.S., for not recognizing the results of the 2006 Palestinian election that brought Hamas into power.<ref name="Seale">Template:Cite news</ref> Like Mohamed El-Baradei and the Muslim Brotherhood, he supports opening the Gaza Strip/Egypt border.<ref name="Seale" /> His criticisms have made Moussa extremely popular.Template:Citation needed

Secretary-General of the Arab League

On 15 May 2001, Moussa was selected as Secretary-General of the League of Arab States and took office on 1 June 2001. Critics of former-President Hosni Mubarak allege that Moussa's appointment to the office of Secretary-General of the Arab League was motivated by Mubarak's desire to remove him from the public spotlight, and so he would not compete as a candidate in the 2005 presidential elections.Template:Citation needed

On 2003, he became a member of the United Nations High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change for International Peace and Security.Template:Citation needed

On 2009, he signed a memorandum of understanding with the Holy See and met with Pope Benedict XVI in order to strengthen joint projects and to promote peace and dialogue on a cultural and political level.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On 13 June 2010, Moussa visited Gaza in a move to pressure Israel to lift its economic blockade over Hamas-ruled Gaza.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The visit by Moussa was the first by an official of the Arab League since the election of Hamas in 2007. Immediately after the 2010 Gaza flotilla raid, Moussa said the Arab League would go to the UN Security Council to demand the blockade be lifted. On 15 May 2011, Nabil Elaraby was elected as Secretary-General of the Arab League and succeeded Moussa on 1 July 2011.<ref>Template:Cite news</</ref>

Possible presidential candidacies

2005 presidential election

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In 2004, an online community gathered tens of thousands of signatures petitioning for Moussa to run in the 2005 elections, but there was no response. In a Doha Debate Forum televised by the BBC in 2006,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Moussa was asked about his presidential hopes. Moussa merely replied that he hoped to continue the recent run of successes that have occurred under his leadership at the Arab League until the end of his term.Template:Citation needed

2012 presidential election

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When asked in October 2009 about rumours that he might run for the presidency in 2012, Moussa did not deny his intention to run for office or rule it out, leaving the door open to speculations. He argued that "It's the right of every citizen that has the capacity and efficiency to aspire to any political office that would allow him to contribute to the service of his nation".<ref name="Amr Moussa opened the way for speculation about his candidacy for the presidency of Egypt">Template:Cite web</ref> He further stated to the press that the qualities required to be the President of Egypt also apply to Gamal Mubarak, son of Hosni Mubarak.<ref name="Amr Moussa did not rule out running for the presidency of Egypt">Template:Cite web</ref> He also expressed appreciation "for the confidence expressed by many people when they talk about his candidacy for the presidency and that the message reached him".<ref name="Amr Mousa to (Al-Shorouk): Every qualified citizen has the right to aspire to serve the country and become the president">Amr Mousa to (Al-Shorouk): Every qualified citizen has the right to aspire to serve the country and become the president.</ref>

Moussa held talks with Mohamed El-Baradei after his return to Egypt. ManyTemplate:Who speculate that this meeting was held to discuss Constitutional reforms that will allow transparency in the election process as well as lifting restrictions on independent candidates. On 26 January 2011, at the Annual Horasis meeting in Zürich, Moussa shared strong views on the need for economic and political reforms in Egypt, and made it clear that he was considering a run.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On 1 February 2011, following the announcement by President Hosni Mubarak that he would not stand in the upcoming presidential elections, Moussa told CNN that he would seriously think about standing himself as a candidate in the next few weeks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On the 8 February broadcast of Al Jazeera English's Empire, well-connected American journalist Seymour Hersh stated that Moussa was considered the U.S.'s favored "Plan B" should Mubarak resign, "whether he knows it or not."<ref>Archived at Ghostarchive Template:Cbignore and the Wayback Machine Template:Cbignore: Template:Cite web Template:Cbignore</ref> On 11 February 2011, Al Jazeera English Online read from a Reuters report that stated Moussa was resigning from his position with the Arab League; on the day that President Mubarak resigned the presidency this furthered rumours he might make a strong bid for president when elections are announced in Egypt.Template:Citation needed On 12 February 2011, the Egyptian daily newspaper Alwafd reported that a group of Egyptian youth met with Moussa to discuss a possible nomination for the presidential election. Moussa reportedly agreed to the nomination, but stated that he would await the currently proposed constitutional reforms.<ref>ثوار يلتقون موسى وزويل لبحث"الرئاسة". Alwafd</ref>

Amr Moussa announced that he would be running as a presidential candidate on 1 March 2011.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

A poll conducted during the 2011 protests asking "who do you think should be the next President of Egypt?" showed Moussa in the lead, with 26% of respondents naming him.<ref>"Phone Survey of Cairo and Alexandria", Scribd Middle East Polls Template:Webarchive. Scribd, Retrieved 25 May 2012.</ref>

Moussa placed fifth in the election with 11.13% of the first round vote. After the election, he formed the Conference Party with which a number of smaller opposition parties aligned.

Criticisms

Although credited with shaking up the Arab League's bureaucracy,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Moussa has been criticized by former and current staff members of the Arab League for his management of the organization. In his book, The League of the Arab States: what’s left of it, former Arab League and Syrian diplomat Kawkab Najib El Rayess accused Moussa of favoritism and promoting his loyalists into the high ranks of the Arab League at the expense of the more-qualified diplomats.<ref name=nasrawi>Template:Cite news</ref>

Honours

Egyptian national honours

Ribbon bar	Honour
	Grand Cordon of the Order of the Nile<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Grand Cordon of the Order of the Arab Republic of Egypt

Foreign honors

Ribbon bar	Country	Honour
	Template:Flag	Grand Cross of the Order of the Liberator General San Martín<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Template:Flag	Grand Cross of the Order of the Southern Cross<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Template:Flag	Grand Cross of National Order of Merit<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Template:Flag	Commander of the Legion of Honour<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Template:Flag	Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Template:Flag	Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Template:Flag	Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Renaissance<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Template:Flag	Grand Cordon of the Order of the Star of Palestine<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Template:Flag	Medal of the Order of Friendship
	Template:Flag	Commander 1st Class of the Order of the Polar Star<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Template:Flag	First Class of the National Order of El-Nilein<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Template:Flag	Grand Officer of the Order of the Republic