Cairo watching for clues from Washington

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- All eyes are on Middle East peace talks in Washington for clues on the U.S. government's stance on the Egyptian political scene, analysts say.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak arrived Wednesday in Washington as U.S. President Barack Obama tries to kick-start a stalled peace process.

Cairo spent much of July deflecting claims that Mubarak's health was declining as Egypt gears up for presidential elections in 2011. The 82-year-old president hasn't made his intentions known publicly, though his National Democracy Party recently nominated him for a sixth term.

Robert Kagan, a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, was quoted in Egypt's al-Masry al-Youm newspaper as saying Washington must be careful when discussing Mubarak or his son Gamal, who is mentioned as a possible successor.

"Everyone in Egypt and surrounding regions will see this as the U.S. giving its blessing to this latest chapter in Egypt's long history of dictatorship," he said of Gamal. "We must therefore be cautious when dealing with these current events."

Gamal and Egyptian diplomat Mohamed ElBaradei are mentioned as possible contenders in the 2011 election.

Tom Malinowski, the Washington director for Human Rights Watch, was quoted as saying "significant changes" have take place in Cairo's political scene with the rise of potentially viable challengers to Mubarak.