"We condemn the hateful and shameful exploitation by some countries" of the situation in Egypt, the United Arab Emirates minister said in a joint news conference in Baghdad with his Iraqi counterpart Hoshyar Zebari.

"There is no doubt that all of us, as nations, we need to develop and reform and improve governance and better connect with the people, but the exploitation of what is happening in Egypt is detestable and shameful," Nahayan added.

He appeared to be referring to Iran, whose Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said on Tuesday that Tehran was "going along with the freedom seekers of the world and support the uprising of the great nation of Egypt."

"I am sure they will play their role in creating an Islamic Middle East for all freedom, justice and independence seekers," Salehi added.

Protests demanding that Mubarak go erupted in Egypt on January 25.

"Standing alongside Egypt is an absolute necessity, but at the same time, we must strongly criticise certain parties seeking to exploit the situation for their own interests," Nahayan said on Thursday.

"We hope that stability will return to Egypt, regardless of the nature of the government, because it is the centre of stability in the region and in the Arab world," he added.

Asked for his response to the UAE position, Zebari replied: "I support everything he said."

earlier related report
Army must bring order before Egypt can change: ICG
Nicosia (AFP) Feb 3, 2011 - Egypt's armed forces must come off the fence and start restoring order before the nation can embark on political change, the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank said on Thursday.

In a statement on the ongoing turmoil, the Brussels-based ICG noted how the military stood by on Wednesday when "a significant number of regime loyalists ... engaged in organised attacks" on what had been peaceful protesters.

"It is perhaps the last public institution with broad national legitimacy and is likely to play a crucial role in ensuring a stable transition," it said. "Neither it nor Egypt can afford the military's legitimacy to be tarnished."

"Egypt's leadership should issue orders to all security forces -- including the military -- to act in a manner consistent with their responsibility to safeguard public order while protecting citizens' legitimate rights to peaceful protest."

Once that is done, it said, negotiations can begin towards a national unity government, free and fair elections later this year, and extensive reforms that would see the long-standing Emergency Law replaced with legislation "that confirms to international norms."

On the deadlock between Hosni Mubarak's regime, which wants protests to stop before talks can begin, and the protest movement, which wants Mubarak to go first, the ICG said the deadlock makes it hard to imagine any peaceful transition with the president still in power.

"Overcoming this obstacle will be difficult and could well require flexibility on both sides," it said.

"For now, however, the most important task is for security forces to live up to their responsibility and obligation to prevent any further loss of life or destruction of property while upholding Egyptians' rights to peaceful protest."

In a similar vein, Amr Hamzawy of the Carnegie Middle East Centre said that step one "would be to delegate the army to protect public and private installations and guarantee citizens' security ... and assuring their right to collective peaceful expression of opinion."

Once that is done, he wrote, Mubarak must commit to not seeking re-election. "Mr Mubarak has ruled for five consecutive presidential terms," he said, "and the time has come for change in Egypt's highest post."

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