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Saudis Opposed To Any U.S. Strike Against Iraq
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Prince Nayef : “The kingdom is
opposed to U.S. military strike against Iraq” |
MECCA,
Feb. 17 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Saudi Arabia's Interior Minister
said Saturday the kingdom would oppose any U.S. military strike against Iraq as
part of Washington's so-called “war on terrorism”. At the same time, Yemen's
President warned America that it would lose all Arab support if Iraq was
attacked.
"Saudi
Arabia is against resolving disputes through violence...If this happens, God
forbid, the kingdom will not in any circumstance be for any war against any Arab
country," Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz told a news conference in Mecca, AFP
reported. His remarks came in response to a question on whether the kingdom
would support military action by its key Western ally, the United States,
against Iraq.
Speculation
has mounted that Washington might launch military action against Baghdad after
U.S. President George W. Bush described Iraq, Iran and North Korea last month as
forming an "axis of evil" sponsoring terror in his January 29 State of
the Union address. He said the three countries are seeking to acquire weapons of
mass destruction, and accused Baghdad of continuing to "support
terror."
U.S.
Secretary of State Colin Powell said Thursday that Washington was determined to
topple Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and will act alone if necessary to change
the regime in Baghdad.
Saudi
Arabia played an essential role in the 1991 Gulf War that ousted Iraqi troops
from neighboring Kuwait, ending a seven-month Iraqi occupation of the tiny Gulf
Arab state. The use of Saudi Arabia's Prince Sultan Air Base and other military
facilities is seen as essential for the success of any U.S. campaign against
neighboring Iraq.
Reacting
to these developments, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh warned the United
States that an attack against Iraq would result in a dramatic strategic shift in
the region.
In
an interview with the London-based Arab daily newspaper Al-Hayat published
Sunday, Saleh said, "in the event of a strike against Iraq, America will
lose Arab sympathy and support in its war against terrorism. He also predicted
"alliances would change in the region, "If Washington carried out its
threat to launch a military operation to topple the regime of Saddam
Hussein."
According
to the BBC’s online news service, the strikes against Iraq could come in May.
That is when the Security Council is due to renew sanctions against Iraq and
that is when the United States, probably supported by Britain, might issue an
ultimatum to Iraq to allow U.N. weapons inspectors in again.
If
Iraq refuses, the United States would argue that Saddam is developing weapons of
mass destruction and that pre-emptive military strikes against him would
therefore be defensive.
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