War Now More Likely Than Ever: Saud
Mohammed Alkhereiji, Arab News Staff
www.arabnews.com
JEDDAH, 13 March 2003 — Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal said here yesterday that a US-led war on Iraq was now more likely than ever before, and he urged Baghdad to take “very dramatic steps” to avert a fresh conflict.
“Today, war appears more likely than any time before,” Prince Saud told a news conference here.
The government of Iraq must “take very dramatic steps” in its efforts to fully implement UN resolutions and avoid war, Prince Saud said.
“We hope war will not break out but we are working on the worst-case scenario basis,” he said, adding that the Kingdom had undertaken precautionary measures to protect its security and citizens.
“Without any dramatic action by Iraq to accept UN resolutions and answer questions in the reports by (chief UN arms inspector Hans) Blix and (UN atomic watchdog head Mohamed) El-Baradei, it is difficult to avoid war,” he added.
The prince announced that a delegation representing the Arab League, which is due to travel to Baghdad tomorrow, “will carry this message to the Iraqi leadership, a message which is backed by Russia, France and China.”
Prince Saud warned that a division in the UN Security Council over Iraq could even hasten a war, arguing that Saudi Arabia regretted the divisions among the permanent members of the Council.
“What we see at the Security Council are divisions that will eventually trigger a war over Iraq. This is why I am pessimistic today,” he said.
“The Council is split on how to deal with the Iraqi crisis. It is giving wrong signals to all parties, including the hard-liners in Iraq,” the prince said.
Prince Saud repeated his warning that a US-led war on Iraq would destabilize the region and “breed and foster” terrorism, in addition to weakening the worldwide campaign against terrorism.
“War is not the best option to solve any crisis, particularly this one,” said Prince Saud.
The prince said Saudi Arabia would deal with a post-Saddam regime in Iraq, but denied making any contacts with that country’s opposition.
“Dealing with an Iraqi regime that comes after (Iraqi President Saddam Hussein) is natural and Saudi Arabia will deal with it,” he added.
More than 250,000 US and British troops are massed in the region ready to invade Iraq and topple Saddam, who London and Washington say is concealing weapons of mass destruction.
He denied that the kingdom had made contact with the Iraqi opposition recently.
Prince Saud reiterated Saudi Arabia’s opposition to war and that it would not take part, unless “there is a UN resolution based on a major material breach and that there is danger against the Kingdom.”
However, he added that “none of these factors is available now.”
“We have said we will not join in the war effort against Iraq. Nothing has changed,” he said, and added that the “guarantee that US forces in the Kingdom will not participate in the war is our decision.”
He said that Saudi Arabia has closed the Arar airport near the borders with Iraq “where a number of foreign experts from various countries are ready to deal with the Iraqi refugees problem.” |
