Qatar's initiative towards Iraq collapses before it has started

Qatari officials said that Qatari proposal of a regional proposal to lift the sanctions imposed on Iraq has collapsed due to the fact it lacked the backing of other Gulf states.

Meantime, Britain has circulated a draft bill to the UN Security Council as a "middle solution" to reach an agreement to ensure the basic needs for the Iraqi people and to permit Baghdad to sell oil for another six weeks.

A Qatari official said in press statements that this proposal was buried before it saw the light because Saudi Arabia and Kuwait refrained from opening the door to dialogue with Iraq.

On Saturday Qatar proposed its initiative to its partners at the Gulf Cooperation Council meeting which also includes Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain.

Qatar had also the same proposal during the meeting held in the Egyptian capital Cairo on Monday for the Damascus Declaration signatory states which includes the six GCC member states and each of Egypt and Syria.

During the Cairo meeting of the Damascus Declaration signatory states, the 8 countries which had also participated as allies in a coalition led by the US to expel Iraq from Kuwait in 1991 announced their backing to the Iraqi people but gave no mention in its report to lift or alleviate the sanctions.