Nabil Fahmy: Is he a liability or an asset?

Egypt’s interim foreign minister is fast becoming a national embarrassment and an object of ridicule across the Middle East. In his latest gaffe, Nabil Fahmy introduced his Saudi counterpart, Prince Saud al-Faisal, as the foreign minister of the United Kingdom. When corrected, Fahmy sheepishly apologised for the mistake, which he attributed to fatigue; “I’m sorry. Please accept my apologies; I’m tired.”

During an interview on BBC HARDTalk broadcast on Tuesday, 6 August, Fahmy claimed that Amnesty International had issued a statement saying there were “heavy weapons inside Rabaa.” It transpired that those remarks were unfounded and Amnesty issued a statement the following day refuting his claim.

This video is the latest of a series which reflects the sorry state of Egypt’s diplomacy.