Arab contacts on American threats against Iraq

Arab League-Secretary General Amr Moussa is making contacts with a number of Arab officials for consultations on the American threats to strike at Iraq.

Moussa told reporters on Thursday that the contacts he made had shown Arab rejection of any strikes against Iraq or any other Arab country.

He would make contacts with a number of international officials in this regard. Moussa conferred Thursday with the American Ambassador to Egypt David Welch on a number of issues including Iraq.

Emerging from the meeting, the Ambassador said that Moussa had voiced the Arabs' concern at a possible strike against Iraq within the framework of the anti-terror war.

He said US President George W. Bush will do his best to protect the American people, adding that reports about striking at Iraq were predictions.

The meeting took up the mission of the two American envoys in the region, stressing the importance of achieving security as a first step.

Welch's talks with Moussa also dealt with the outcome of a recent conference on dialogue among civilizations hosted by the Arab League.