Washington officially asks for using the Saudi bases

Saudi Arabia's defense minister prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz yesterday in Riyadh received chief of staff of the American joint forces Gen. Richard Mayors in the second day of his visit to Saudi Arabia for asking the Saudi authorities to use its military bases in launching a war against Iraq, according to the US under secretary of state for political and military affairs Lincoln Bloomfields who attended the meeting in addition to the US ambassador in Riyadh Robert Jordan and other Saudi officials.

On Sunday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bloomfield said that Mayors will ask the countries he will be visiting to permit the use of its bases to launch attacks against Iraq. He said "we do not forget we are on their lands and their host."

He considered that "most of the Arab states support the implementation of UN resolutions concerning Iraq by means of force." Bloom field added "nobody wants the war, but the basic point in that matter is disarmament of the Iraqi weapons." Saudi Arabia has set a precondition for using its military bases, which is the issuing of a resolution by the UN security council permiting the use of force against Iraq.

American diplomatic sources in Riyadh said Gen. Richard Mayors briefed prince Sultan with the recent American position concerning Iraq, especially after Baghdad's consent for the return back of UN inspectors The American sources said that Mayors discussed with Prince Sultan "cooperation between the armed forces in the two countries, and the support given by the US for the Saudi armed forces in the defense fields as well as areas of cooperation and coordination." Talks also dealt with conditions in the region, especially in the occupied Palestinian territories and general issues relating to security conditions in the region and the war against terrorism.