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Saudi Arabia Denies Involvement in U.S.-U.K. Air Raids Over Iraq
RIYADH, Aug 9 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - A senior Saudi official denied Thursday that U.S. and British warplanes based in the kingdom took part in air raids on Iraq, saying their flying mission was limited solely to "surveillance", news agencies reported.
Saudi Arabian Defense Minister Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz denied reports that military aircraft carrying out strikes on Iraq had set off from Saudi territory, the Saudi newspaper Arab News said.
"The mission of the planes that take off from the Kingdom and countries in the region is limited to surveillance and maintaining security," he told the Asharq al-Awsat newspaper.
"They are strictly forbidden to carry out the smallest military operation," Prince Sultan said.
Earlier in July, an Iraqi military spokesman told the Iraqi News Agency that U.S. and British warplanes violated Iraqi air space and were coming from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait with support from the ruling governments of both countries.
"They supported the enemy planes which conducted 10 armed sorties from the Saudi lands and 12 from Kuwait. These sorties were supported by AWACS planes from Saudi Arabia which flew over certain areas above the Basra, Ziqar and Mathna provinces and later on left the Iraqi airspace," he explained.
With reference to Saudi-Iraqi relations, Prince Abdel Aziz said that Saudi Arabia has absolutely no interest in imposing sanctions against Baghdad or creating any political and military tension.
He pointed out that Saudi Arabia's stand during the last Arab summit in Amman was in favor of the Iraqi people.
"We have offered them everything and stood with them in all matters, but the Iraqi government rejected our initiatives," he added.
Baghdad frequently rails against Saudi Arabia and Kuwait for allowing U.S. and British planes to use bases on their territory to help impose no-fly zones put in place in the north and south of the country after the 1991 Gulf War.
Refusing to recognize the zones, which are not covered by any U.N. resolution, Iraq challenges the U.S. and British overflights, resulting in almost daily clashes that, according to Baghdad, have cost 353 Iraqi lives, and injured more than 1,000 since 1998.
According to the Saudi minister, the objective of sorties flown from Saudi Arabia is "peaceful and not militaristic, and they contribute to stability in the region."
"These planes helped prevent confrontations which might have happened by warning the Iraqis when they carried out military movements," he said, French News Agency AFP reported.
The planes that carry out raids on Iraq "do not take off from the Kingdom, and Iraq knows that very well, but is trying to sow some confusion."
Prince Sultan added that Riyadh was ready to reconcile with Baghdad if "it applies the U.N. Security Council resolutions."
"We are ready to forget the past and overcome the current situation," he said.
"We favor welcoming Iraq back to the Arab fold and have nothing against it. On the contrary, we hope it can end its sufferings by applying the U.N. resolutions."
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