Arab Summit rejects any military action
Regional, Politics, 3/3/2003

Communique of the Arab Summit held in Sharm El-Sheikh, March 1,2003:

Concluding its activities yesterday in Sharm El-Sheikh, the 15th Arab Summit expressed Arab states' rejection of any attack against Iraq.

The Summit rejected any threat to security and territorial integrity of any Arab state, calling for the need to solve the Iraqi crisis by peaceful means in the framework of international legitimacy.

Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, while declaring the Arab Summit resolutions, indicated that the Arab leaders concurred that a peaceful solution to the Iraq crisis should be found.

The final communique underlined the Arab states' rejection of participating in any military action against any Arab state, including Iraq. The Arab leaders in their final statement expressed belief that it was high time international sanctions imposed on Iraq were lifted in accordance with Security Council resolutions, especially resolution 687.

The Arab leaders decided to form a committee grouping the former, current and coming Presidents of the Arab Summit along with the Arab League Chief and any other Arab state which would like to join the committee to start necessary contacts with parties concerned on the Iraqi issue.

The committee was also assigned the task of holding contacts with the Iraqi government.

The final statement of the l5th Arab Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh is reiterating outright rejection against striking Iraq or jeopardizing the security and stability of any Arab state on the grounds that this would be considered a threat against the Arab national security, urging a solution to the Iraqi crisis via peaceful means within the framework of international legitimacy.

The statement called on all countries of the world to back the Arab efforts aiming to avoid war, and this would be achieved through Iraq's implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1441/2002.

It requested the UN weapons inspectors be given enough time to complete their missions objectively in Iraq, calling for stressing the UN Security Council's responsibility over keeping Iraq and its people intact, maintaining Iraq's independence and territorial integrity and asserting guarantees for the security, independence and territorial integrity of Iraq's neighbors.

The statement underlined the declining of Iraq's neighbors to participate in any military action targeting the security, stability and territorial integrity of Iraq or any other Arab state, emphasizing solidarity with the Iraqi people, who have been groaning for years under the sanctions imposed on Iraq.

The statement called on the Kingdom of Bahrain to set up a presidential commission comprising the previous, current and next presidencies of the Arab Summit to make the necessity contacts with the parties concerned and consult with the Iraqi government within the context of any Arab Summit resolutions on Iraq.

It noted that the affairs and development of regimes was something to be decided by the peoples of the region in line with their national interests away from any foreign interference, and within this context the leaders were denouncing reported bids to impose changes on the region, interfere in their internal affairs or ignore their interests and just causes.

The statement considered the scrapping of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction in the region as part of the dismantling of all weapons of mass destruction in the area including Israel's in accordance with paragraph 14 of UN Security Council resolution 687 of the year 1991, stressing close follow--up of the developments of the Iraqi question.

The summit's final declaration reminded Iraq of its commitment to respecting the independence, security and sovereignty of Kuwait within its internationally recognised borders.

It warned against recurrence of the 1990 notorious invasion. The Arab leaders stressed the importance of halting any hostile statements between the two countries in order to provide the positive atmosphere that would assure the two sides' abidance by principles of good neighbourliness and non-interference in the integral affairs of each other.

The summit urged resumption of the works of the technical committee on the Kuwaiti captives in Iraq and commended Kuwait's response to the information provided by Iraq about the captives and those missing via the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The summit council expressed its wish that tangible progress would be achieved on this issue and welcomed Iraq's return of part of the Kuwaiti archives. It urged Baghdad to return the other parts of the archives and the Kuwaiti property.

The final statement stressed that the Arab League Council was closely following the grave conditions suffered by the Palestinian people and their national authority because of the incessant Israeli aggressions.

It confirmed full solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle to restore their legitimate rights and absolute backing for their struggle to regain these rights.

The statement also reaffirmed previous resolutions on boosting the Palestinian economy.

It lauded the Palestinian people's stamina and their legitimate leadership under President Yasser Arafat in confronting the continued and mounting Israeli aggressions with the aim of restoring their rights.

It also renewed determination to pursue all forms of political, moral and financial support to the Palestinian people and their heroic Intifada.

The Arab League Council branded the Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people as an all-out and pre-meditated aggression aimed at destroying the entire peace process and held Israel solely responsible for that.

The final statement reaffirmed the Palestinian people's legitimate right to resist, in self-defence and in accordance with international legitimacy and UN resolutions, the Israeli settlement, siege and reoccupation, killing, assassination, detention and demolition policies.

It pressed for ending the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people and providing international protection for Palestinian civilians via the dispatch of an international force.

The statement demanded a swift probe into Israeli crimes to refer perpetrators to international war crimes tribunals.

The final statement reaffirmed the Arab identity of A1 Quds, rejected all Israeli measures to judaize the holy city, dismissed as null and void relevant Israeli measures and branded settlement activities as a threat to regional peace and stability.

It condemned the Israeli refusal to all proposals and initiatives to achieve just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.

The statement reiterated Arab commitment to the Arab peace initiative endorsed by the Beirut Arab summit and held Israel responsible for aborting peace efforts.

It urged the Quartet Committee to resume peace endeavours to realise peace in the Middle East and thrash out a just and comprehensive solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict based on the Arab peace initiative.

The statement confirmed anew adherence to just and comprehensive peace as a strategic option in accordance with the Security Council resolutions 242, 338, 425, the Secretariat General resolution 194, Madrid Conference terms of reference and the land-for-peace principle. It stressed the necessity of Israeli withdrawal from all Arab occupied territories including Golan Heights back to the 1967 borders,Shebaa in south Lebanon and ending Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. Palestinians are entitled to their inalienable right to self-determination, statehood with Al Quds (Jerusalem) as their capital, the return of refugees and release of all Arab prisoners and detenees from the Israeli prisons.

It stressed anew Arab commitment to provide financial support to the Palestinian Authority for six months starting coming April (2003) to be renewed automatically as agreed upon in the last Arab Beirut Summit. The Secretariat General of the Arab League is urged to continue efforts on raising money in support of the Palestinians and cooperation with international organizations concerned, with a view to providing finance for the development and reconstruction of the Palestinian territories.

Previous Stories:
  Arab unions body backs Morocco over occupied Sebta, Mellilia   (3/1/2003)
  Arab ministers reject Powell's proposal on Saddam to quit   (3/1/2003)
  Annan will not attend the Arab summit   (3/1/2003)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search