Al-Qathafi announces rejection to the Saudi proposal

The Libyan leader Muammar al-Qathafi announced his rejection to a saudi proposal to sending Islamic forces to Iraq, considering that this initiative, which was also rejected by each of Algeria and Bangladesh will not be fruitful before the withdrawal of the multi national forces from this country.

The Libyan media yesterday quoted al-Qathafi as saying that " No Arab nor islamic forces should be sent to Iraq, unless the occupation forces withdraw and are replaced by forces at a resolution of the UN."

The Saudi initiative calls for forming forces from Pakistan, Malaysia, Algeria, Bangladesh and Morocco to help in controlling the riots and disturbances taking place in Iraq.

Al-Qathafi said that sending Arab and Islamic forces now to Iraq makes some view these forces as " also occupation forces."

Meantime, the Tunisian daily al-Shorouq quoted the secretary general of the Arab League Amr Moussa as saying that the issue of sending Arab forces to Iraq is linked to the " question of the occupation and the need to terminate it and that any Arab forces can not work under any leadership but the UN." Moussa comented on the Saudi proposal on sending forces to Iraq saying " these are Saudi ideas. which were not debated to public discussions because meetings of the Arab foreign ministers will not be held before September, and therefore I do not think there is any move to this direction before the meetings of the Arab foreign ministers."