Egyptian paper attacks US ambassador

A government-owned newspaper in Egypt has launched a strong personal attack on the new American ambasador to Cairo, Daniel Kurtzer, the first Jew to be appointed by Washington as an ambassador to an Arab country.

The attack follows a statement by Mr Kurtzer in which he said that Arab countries made a serious mistake by boycotting an American-backed Middle East economic conference in Qatar in November.

The newspaper, al-Akhbar, said it seemed that Mr Kurtzer could not restrain himself and get rid of the influence of the notions of the Jewish and Zionist lobby.

The newspaper suggested that Mr Kurtzer was representing the interests of Israel, and not Washington.

Mr Kurtzer took over his post earlier this month, but has not yet presented his credentials to President Mubarak.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service