In an effort to drum up Arab support for the joint US-British anti-terrorism campaign, British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair is heading to Egypt later this week.
Mr Blair is due to have talks with Egyptian president Mr Hosni Mubarak on Thursday, en route back to London from Oman. Although the British embassy in Cairo refuses to either confirm or deny the trip, it is widely assumed to be an effort at boosting support for the British-American attacks from Egypt, the most populous and influential Arab state.
Mr Blair set the stage for his visit to the Middle East in an interview with the influential Qatari-based television channel Al-Jezira to be broadcast on Wednesday.
But there was little evidence that he had eroded the scepticism of ordinary Egyptians towards the allied attacks on the Taliban. Few people here support violent militants like Osama bin Laden and there have been no reports of serious unrest in response to the bombings of Afghanistan, but popular opinion remains deeply suspicious of American motives in the region.
Its failure to rein in Israeli violence against the Palestinians and the conditions of Iraqi civilians under the continued sanctions regime are cited by wide cross-sections of the population as reasons to be wary of allied intent in Afghanistan.
Many say they have yet to see compelling evidence for bin Laden's involvement in the September 11th attacks in the United States and fear that the attacks on Afghanistan will do little more than kill innocent civilians.
Although Egypt, like most other countries in the Middle East, is hardly a model of democracy, the eruption of popular anger and, perhaps more importantly, the potential for a rekindling of Islamist militancy, are important considerations for its rulers.
Mindful of the need to tread the fine line between pleasing his American allies and satisfying the street, President Mubarak confirmed on Tuesday that his government supports the United States in its fight against terrorism.
In his first statement since the bombings of Afghanistan began he told reporters: "We support all measures taken by the United States to resist terrorism because we suffered from terrorism before."
But in a nod to popular opinion he added that he hoped the bombings would not kill innocent civilians. He also repeated calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state.
"There should be a Palestinian state, the problem of the Palestinians should be solved ... It is one of the causes of the creation of terrorism in the world," he said.
AFP adds: Sudanese Islamic scholars and mujahedeen demonstrated yesterday against the US-led strikes on Afghanistan, crying support for Osama bin Laden and the Taliban, witnesses said.
Hundreds of protesters marched along the streets of Khartoum and gathered in front of the presidential palace, where their leaders made fiery speeches condemning the war on Afghanistan as one against Islam.
The Islamic scholars attending the rally issued a fatwa (Islamic edict), branding the United States "the arch-enemy" of Islam, an "atheist nation" and "sponsor of atheism and the Jews."
