RIYADH,
November 3 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Saudi Arabia will not
allow the United States to use its territory or airspace to attack Iraq
even if the United Nations endorses military action, the kingdom's
foreign minister told CNN in an interview broadcast Sunday, November 3.
"We
will cooperate with the [UN] Security Council, but as to entering the
conflict or using the facilities as part of the conflict, that's
something else," Prince Saud al-Faisal said, asked about support
for U.S. attacks.
"So
that's a 'no'?" the interviewer asked.
"No,"
Prince Saud said.
Saudi
Arabia, Washington's main ally in the Gulf, played a critical role in
providing bases and air support to the U.S.-led coalition during the
1991 Gulf War, Agence France-Presse (AFP) said.
The
United States was also allowed to use the command and control systems at
Prince Sultan Air Space in Kharj, south of Riyadh, during the war in
Afghanistan last year.
But
Riyadh has repeatedly refused to cooperate with Washington in its
insistence to attack Iraq with or without a UN resolution because the
Saudis are worried about U.S. occupation of its Arab neighbor.
"History
tells us that whatever change you believe you can bring to the country
that you occupy, you can never make a permanent change through
occupation by a foreign force in the country," he said.
"Iraq
is not Japan. Saddam Hussein is not the emperor Hirohito," he said,
referring to World War II.
Prince
Saud hoped that a military conflict could still be avoided through the
United Nations.
"We
think it is feasible. Iraq has made a very clear and unambiguous promise
to the Arab countries that it will abide by the United Nations
resolutions and so we think the road is set for that," he said.
