“He was a dictator.” Amr Moussa causes a stir by criticizing Gamal Abdel Nasser: “He made huge mistakes.” Mustafa Bakri responds.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - The former Egyptian Foreign Minister and former Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Amr Moussa, sparked a widespread uproar with his criticism of the late Egyptian President, Gamal Abdel Nasser, and described him as a “dictator” and that he “committed very huge mistakes.” Amr Moussa said, in a television interview on MBC, on Friday, that he "became angry with Gamal Abdel Nasser after the setback of June 5, 1967, and he was not dissatisfied, even though Abdel Nasser was trying to pursue good things in his policies."

In response to a question about whether Abdel Nasser was a dictator, Amr Moussa said: “Yes, of course, he was a dictator, because the rule was a dictatorial rule and was not democratic, but the people supported Gamal Abdel Nasser and trusted him and his leadership, and the presentation he made about the poor and about rights were all good things to accept and deal with, but it became clear that there were very huge mistakes in governance internally and in making the decision to war, and that is dictatorship.” Regarding the scene of Abdel Nasser stepping down after the defeat in 1967, and whether it was a real scene or a fabrication? Amr Moussa said that “it was a real scene, because he wanted to step down because the disaster that happened was great, so it was necessary for him to take a step of this kind, and I think he felt the big mistake he had made and he had to step down.”

Amr Moussa spoke about the setback in 1967, saying: “I and many others have become angry. How and why would we expose this great Egypt to such a defeat?” He stressed, “It is not possible and not right for us to tolerate what happened on June 5, 1967, and it is not right for us to expose the Arab world to such adventures, and to this moment we are still in the state of what happened.”

In response to a question about the Arab League, Amr Moussa said: “I pray for success for it and the Secretary-General.” In response to another question about whether dealing with Arab presidents is difficult?

Amr Moussa said: “It is difficult and easy. The ease is because they respond to some ideas and try to help some ideas succeed, and the difficulty is in reconciling the differences in interests.” Egyptian parliamentarian and media representative Mustafa Bakri commented on Amr Moussa, following his attack on Abdel Nasser, saying: “From time to time, Amr Moussa comes out attacking the late President Gamal Abdel Nasser, describing him with inaccurate and contradictory terms with history.”

Mustafa Bakri added during his program “Facts and Secrets” on the “Sada El Balad” channel, on Friday evening: “I mean, frankly, Amr Moussa sometimes says that Abdel Nasser is a dictator, and sometimes he says that he brings food from abroad. Well, Mr. Amr Moussa, what do you think of the one who agreed to exterminate a people or kill a leader like Muammar Gaddafi? And he also received 10 million dollars from the League of Arab States?

This talk is not entirely objective, and frankly, I describe it in one word: “end-of-life hustling,” according to his description. Mustafa Bakri added: “Abdel Nasser lived despite all the enemies, and he still lives in our hearts, and we will teach our children and grandchildren about him. This is a historical leader who will never be forgotten.”