Saudi Arabia denies change in military policy with US

Chief of staff of the Saudi army Lt. Gen. Saleh al-Mahya has denied any change to have taken place in the military cooperation policy between Saudi Arabia and the US especially in the field of training and programs.

In a statement to the Saudi daily Okaz issued on Tuesday, al-Mahya announced that the objective of the presence of the American, British and French forces in Saudi Arabia is to carry out the task of monitoring the " new fly zones imposed on southern Iraq, according to UN resolutions."

He indicated the presence of 5000 western troopers who carry out this mission, with the majority of them are Americans. He explained there would not have been an increase in the number of those troopers so as their reduction will be demanded, noting that the Americans came in eventually at the Saudi consent.

Concerning what had been quoted by the US congress member Carl Levin that the American forces are not welcomed in Saudi Arabia, Mahya said that "these words are not based on a precise ground."