Arab MPs for lifting boycott on Iraq, US-British aggression condemned
Regional-Iraq, Politics, 12/28/1998

The 33rd emergency session of the Arab Parliamentary Union council concluded on Sunday in Amman. A number of recommendations were taken in this session.

The participants in the session hailed the stances taken by Arab and Islamic countries and throughout the world against the attacks launched on Iraq and in solidarity with the people of Iraq. They praised the stances taken by friendly world parliaments, especially the Russian Duma, in this respect.

The recommendations strongly condemned the US - British attacks on Iraq, calling for the UN Security Council to guarantee that such an attack will not be repeated again. They voiced support for the right of Iraq to demand compensation for material and human losses inflicted during the strikes.

The recommendations confirmed Arab parliamentarians' effective solidarity for maintaining Iraq's territorial integrity as well as its independence and sovereignty. They rejected all forms of regional and international interference in the internal affairs of Iraq. The Arab parliamentarians also called on Arab governments to work toward lifting the blockade on Iraq and to put an end to the suffering of the Iraqi people. They called on the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union to adopt decisions calling upon Arab governments to work for lifting the blockade imposed on Iraq.

The Arab parliamentarians participating in the session also demanded the cancellation of no-fly zones in northern and southern Iraq. They also called for holding an emergency Arab summit to take necessary decisions to support Iraq.

The APU council also decided to send an Arab parliamentary delegation to Iraq to confirm solidarity and to get acquainted with the destruction caused by the US-British attacks and to publish this in a report to be circulated in all parliaments in the world. The APU council assigned the president of the union to send messages to parliamentarians from Russia and China to express the appreciation for the APU for the two countries' stances towards the attacks against Iraq.

The APU called on the International Parliamentary Federation and on parliamentary councils all over the world to denounce the US - British attacks as a violation of the UN charter and to help Iraq's right to lift the blockade imposed on it. The APU is to organize a visit to be paid by an Arab parliamentary delegation to contact the European parliaments to discuss the topic of lifting the embargo from Iraq.

Earlier in the morning, meetings of the emergency 33rd session of the Arab Parliamentary Union APU were held in Amman.

Jordanian Crown Prince Hassan has called for just implementation of international legitimacy resolutions for all, according to clear criteria and guarantees of people's rights to peace and security. In an opening speech at the 33rd emergency session of the APU, the Jordanian crown prince added: "If it is the right of people of the region to live secure, away from the consequences of weapons of mass destruction, and this procedure must be implemented on all with no exception, regardless of justifications."

The Jordanian crown prince voiced his country's solidarity with the people of Iraq noting: "Defending the rights of the Iraqi people is a defense of every Arab people in every Arab country that may be exposed to aggression."

He stressed his country's categorical rejection of any plan aimed at partitioning Iraq and its rejection of economic sanctions against any country, especially against the Arab states. Prince Hassan also called for developing relations between the Arab states and Iran, "the Muslim and neighborly country."

Previous Stories:
  Arab League chief calls for new formula in dealing with Iraq   (12/23/1998)
  Arab parliaments to hold extraordinary session on Iraq   (12/23/1998)
  UN Security Council opens debate on Iraq   (12/22/1998)

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