KHARTOUM. July 6: Sudan has raised the stakes in its war of words wch neighbouring Fgy pt and gme no tile offensive by saluting the attack ers who tried to kill Fgv pciaii Presid ria Hosni Mubarak reports AFP

The country * spiritual leader Hassan aLTurabi the man behind the Islamist military government in Khartounc has praised die gang that failed to assassinate Mubarak as his motorc ade drove through Addis Ababa on June 2b

A group of Mujahedeen have c nipped up from Fgypt s soil leasing Egypt s Pharaoh I Mubarak! anywhere Ik- goes he said in a speech made arher this week but only published ytraerdav be du off* tai news agency

It was his first show of support, since the assassination attempt, for the armed Egy ptian Muslim militant group Jamaa Isiamiyya which claim ed the attac k and vowed to kill the president

last week after Mubarak impli cated Sudan in the attack. Turabi. du- eminence grise of Sudanese poli tics, and government ministers contented themselves with a simply denying being involved.

Now, however, there is a different tone to their statements

Egypt is today experiencing a drought in religion and faith. A catastrophe has befallen the Egv |Mun I urabi said.

Allah God) has willed that Islam be revived from Sudan and Islamic re ligion Will fkiw aking with the waters of the Nile to cleanse Egypt from obscenity, he added.

He recalled he had previously spoken with Mubarak about diought polftk-s. religicMi and faith but fciund the president too dumb to under stand my speec h.

The g wenunent in Kliartoum lias also on the offensive. iK ral ALYayev Ibrahun Moha nunad Khair the Interior Afimster has threatened to w ididraw from intern alional treaties previously agreed with Egypt if ( airo continues to attac k Sudanese troops in the dis puted Red Sea border region