French Defense Minister backs Mubarak's warnings against striking Iraq

French Minister of Defense Michele Alliot-Mariot Wednesday expressed support to warnings made by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak against dealing a military strike to Iraq

The French Minister said she agreed to all what President Mubarak had said on risks of war

In a Press Conference she gave before leaving the Qatari capital, the French Minister said that her country was opposed to any military action against Iraq without the approval of the United Nations. She said the United Nations was the only party entitled to decide whether there was a need for a military intervention following examination of the Iraqi weapons report.

Asked about military cooperation between Qatar and France, the French minister said that their relations were strong, pointing out that a number of agreements was signed between the two countries in the military and economic domains

The two sides signed during the visit a contract to modernize Qatari equipment as part of the military cooperation