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As for the U.S., relations are likely to remain close, with Egypt scheduled to receive $2 billion in American aid this year. On his visit to Washington this week, Mubarak is expected to ask President Reagan for more military aid and more flexibility in using U.S. economic aid. On the arms question, he may ask for "parity" with Israel—$1.5 billion in credits and forgiveness of half of that. Washington, for economic and political reasons, will have to refuse. But the Administration is sympathetic to Egypt's need to modernize its equipment and its desire for faster delivery. U.S. officials hope to balance things out by giving Mubarak what he wants in development aid and shading his request for military aid, with perhaps some small increase. Cairo, however, does not want the price of its requests for aid to be pressure to sign an unsatisfactory agreement with Israel on Palestinian autonomy or, for that matter, other overt concessions that would make Egypt lose credibility in the Arab world. Says one Egyptian observer: "Many Egyptians think America stamped Sadat as the American stooge. America should not try to do that with Mubarak. That is dangerous for him and bad for America."
For the present, Mubarak can count on a strong measure of good will from Egyptians. He has given them stability in the aftermath of the assassination and stirred hopes that he can continue the peace and make Egypt a more prosperous nation. Meeting those expectations will be difficult; some fear that people are expecting too much. But there is general agreement that Mubarak has made a remarkable beginning, even if, as a Cairo editor says, "it's like the first step of a thousand-mile journey."
—By Marguerite Johnson.
Reported by Robert C. Wurmstedt/Cairo