SCOTT SIMON, Host:

While so much attention is being paid to the Saudi proposal, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak arrives in Washington, DC, this weekend for talks with President Bush. Raghida Dergham joins us now to talk about the visit. She is the senior diplomatic correspondent for the London-based Arab daily Al Hayat and joins us from our bureau in New York.

Thanks very much for being with us.

Ms. RAGHIDA DERGHAM (Senior Diplomatic Correspondent, Al Hayat): Thank you.

SIMON: And, of course, Egypt and the late Anwar Sadat were the authors of the most famous peace proposal of all in the Middle East. Where does this Saudi proposal leave Mr. Mubarak in Egypt?

Ms. DERGHAM: Playing a second fiddle in a way because now it's really a Saudi proposal. It could become a Saudi initiative. And it could be adopted by the Arab League summit to be held in Beirut on March 27th and 28th. I don't think the Egyptians like to be followers nor do the Syrians. However, it is very important that the Saudis embrace this initiative, and I think the Egyptians may have reservations in as far as the possibilities of its success because of the Israeli position, that is. However, I believe this initiative has got support by the Egyptians from the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak.

SIMON: Is Mr. Mubarak looking for much of anything specific in Washington, DC?

Ms. DERGHAM: There will always be the bilateral angle. In any such visit there are bilateral relations that have economic as well as political dimensions. I believe that will come up. I guess Mr. Mubarak may be faced by criticism from the administration pointing to the fact that government controlled Egyptian media had really not been very fair, in effect, in dealing with all the developments since September 11. I think there's a lot of anger and criticism in Washington and in the United States actually for that coming out of Egypt. However, the peace overtures, the Prince Abdullah initiative and Arab summit coming up--this will be the priority issues.

SIMON: Do you see President Mubarak in any way trying to incline the US government to intercede with Israel to not keep Yasser Arafat bottled up in Ramallah, or do they like him bottled up in Ramallah?

Ms. DERGHAM: No, not at all. I think they do not like him bottled up in Ramallah, and I think there is a big drive taking place right now through the administration not only by the Egyptians but the Jordanians, by the Saudis and others to say to the administration, `You must pressure Israel. You must pressure Ariel Sharon so that Yasser Arafat is permitted to go to the Arab summit in Beirut.'

However, I am afraid if Mr. Sharon does not permit Mr. Arafat to go to the summit, I think this will have very negative consequences on the readiness of the Arabs to move forward with the peace proposals, and also I think it may be in the mind of Mr. Sharon to handicap that summit altogether because I'm not so sure Mr. Sharon welcomes the Arab drive towards positive, peaceful proposals.

SIMON: Thanks very much.

Ms. DERGHAM: Thank you.

SIMON: Raghida Dergham is senior diplomatic correspondent for the Arab daily Al Hayat based in London. She, however, joined us from our studios in New York.

And coming up in just a minute, we'll talk about the continued violence between Hindus and Muslims that's raging in Gujarat in India. It's 18 minutes past the hour.