Al-Faisal: we will not send forces to Iraq
Saudi Arabia-Iraq, Politics, 7/21/2003

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister Prince Saud al-Faisal has announced in a press conference held in Jeddah by the end of last week that Saudi Arabia will not take part in the peace keeping force in Iraq, unless that will be requested from an "Iraqi legitimate government."

Al-Faisal who will arrive in Egypt today to hand over a message from the Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah to President Hosni Mubarak, denied that Washington made a request to this effect to Riyadh.

Al-Faisal said "nothing of that sort had happened, and the Kingdom considers the founding of a governing council as a positive step towards reviving the establishments of the civil society and an introduction to restore back normal life to this brotherly country." He added that the foundation of the council "complies with the UN security council resolution 1483," which called for the founding a transitional Iraqi leadership to the establishment of an Iraqi government, stressing Riyadh's support for a greater UN role in Iraq.

Al-Faisal said that Saudi Arabia will make contacts with the Arab states in order "to convene a meeting on Iraq and discuss the future of Iraq, and the future of the Arab group after what had happened in Iraq." He announced that there will be no representation office for the transitional governing council on the Saudi territories, noting that the diplomatic representation should come following the establishment of a legitimate government in Baghdad.

Meantime, diplomatic sources in Riyadh said yesterday that al-Faisal will convey a message from the Saudi leadership to the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on the situation in Iraq and the developments of the peace process between the Palestinians and the Israelis. This visit, however, comes at a time when the Palestinian prime minister Mahmoud Abbas ( Abu Mazin) is expected to hold talks in Cairo with Mubarak before he heads to Washington to meet with the US President George W. Bush. Sources expected that a tripartite Saudi- Egyptian and Palestinian summit will be held for consultation before Abu Mazen heads for the USA.

Previous Stories:
  Okaz: Saudi contingent join occupation forces in Iraq   (4/28/2003)
  Some 400,000 Iraqi refugees to return back home   (4/23/2003)
  Al-Faisal calls for installing an interim government in Iraq   (4/19/2003)

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