Egypt’s Conference Boycott Dismays U.S.

The United States said it was disappointed at Egypt’s decision to join a boycott of next week’s Middle East economic conference in Qatar, but spokesmen declined to criticize Cairo’s position. State Department spokesman James P. Rubin said countries boycotting the conference that will include Israel will miss “a unique opportunity for public-private-sector networking.” Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced the boycott to protest what he called Israel’s failure to keep its promises in the Middle East peace process. After Bahrain also announced that it will not participate, the only Arab countries committed to attending are Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Tunisia, Oman and Yemen. The U.S. and some other countries from outside the Mideast are taking part.