Egyptian opposition finds common ground against Bush

By Jonathan Wright

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian opposition groups -- Islamists, liberals and leftists -- found common ground on Tuesday in criticism of U.S. President George W. Bush's imminent visit to the most populous Arabic country.

Bush will spend less than four hours in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Wednesday on his way between Saudi Arabia and Washington. He will see Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak but is not expected to answer any questions.

The brevity of the visit and the choice of venue, hundreds of kilometers (miles) from large population centers, suggested that the U.S. and Egyptian governments are wary of putting Bush into contact with many ordinary Egyptians.

The newspaper of one opposition party, a faction of the liberal Ghad Party, said in a headline: "The state of Sharm el-Sheikh receives the American butcher."

"Egypt chants 'He who destroyed Iraq will tomorrow destroy Warraq'," it added. Warraq is a north Cairo suburb.

The Muslim Brotherhood, the main opposition group with one fifth of the seats in parliament, has opposed the visit from the time it was announced, on the grounds that Bush's aim is to help Israel and incite Arab governments against Iran.

ANGER AT U.S. POLICY

Saad el-Katatny, the leader of the Brotherhood's parliamentary group, told a demonstration on Tuesday: "We have come to express the Egyptian people's anger at U.S. policy in the region. We reject the visit, which is aimed at ... invading Gaza and preventing the return of Palestinian refugees."