Mubarak Sees U.S., Tunisia Collusion
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, in a television interview broadcast Sunday, accused the United States and Tunisia of colluding to have an Egyptian plane carrying the Achille Lauro hijackers forced down in Italy.
Mubarak was asked on CBS News’ “60 Minutes” whether he thought the United States and Tunisia, which denied the Egyptian plane carrying the hijackers permission to land, had arranged a trap for him.
“Yes, yes, frankly yes,” he replied in the interview filmed Saturday, adding: “I could tell you I considered (this) from the United States a stab in the back and the stab in the back from who? From a friend.”
Mubarak denied speculation that he secretly helped with the interception by keeping the hijackers on the ground until U.S. forces were ready.
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