Albright's tour fails to gain support from Gulf states
Iraq, Analysis, 11/19/1997

US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's recent regional tour failed to convince the Gulf states to support the military option in the UN - American - Iraqi crisis.

All the Gulf states announced their refusal to support the use of force by the United States to oblige Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to implement the UN Security Council's resolution related to UN weapons inspection teams.

Yousef Ben Abd El-Allah, the Omani minister of state for foreign affairs, has said that using force to solve political problems is considered absolutely unacceptable and that there is not any reason for using military force to solve the current problem between Iraq and the United States.

He added that the Arab states were displeased by the current situation in Iraq and that the matter of Security Council's suspicion of Iraq that it doesn't hide any weapons of mass destruction, doesn't need any military confrontation.

The minister said that the Iraqi people are paying the price for all these suspicions, and stated that the Arab states are capable of aiding the United Nations, in finding a solution for this case.

Saudi Arabia expressed its satisfaction with the diplomatic efforts to solve this subject peacefully. Sabbah El-Ahmed, the Kuwaiti foreign minister, appealed to Iraq not to escalate the situation and implement the Security Council's resolution. He also said that Kuwait refuses the use of force by the United States, and he supported the peaceful option because this will protect both Iraq and Kuwait.

The Emirates, have also refused all the military solution, and expressed support for a resolution by diplomatic means.

It is necessary to hasten the lifting of the sanctions from Iraq to rescue the Iraqi people a from slow death. Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamed ben-Gaber said that the current American disputes have to be solved by discussions and diplomatic means. He added that the Iraqi people are going through a great crisis. We should stand with them and they should implement the international resolutions, he said.

Previous Stories:
  Russia takes lead role in Iraq negotiations   (11/19/1997)
  Iraqi crisis: between United Nations and United States   (11/17/1997)
  A solution at hand?   (11/17/1997)

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