Al-Faisal: there is no need for the war

The Saudi foreign minister prince Saud al-Faisal stressed yesterday that the 6 Islamic states which will hold a ministerial meeting in Istanbul today may hold a meeting at the summit level, if it is necessary.

He warned that Istanbul meeting is the last resort to spare the region and Iraq the catastrophic results of the war. In a press conference in Riyadh, al-Faisal said that the aim of the six member ministerial meeting is to reach a common perception to what can be done to prevent a war against Iraq and the region., adding that the meeting will seek to convince the UN Security Council to that there is no need for war and to convince Iraq to implement all UN Security Council resolutions to avoid war and Iraq has a great responsibility to avoid the war. The Saudi minister said he hopes that Iraq will make more efforts in order to prevent the war, adding Iraq is able to work for avoiding a military act. "Our potentials are limited because we can not take a decision on behalf of Iraq," he said

After he indicated the care of the 6 states to "avoid the war and maintain the unity and safety of the Iraqi territories," al-Faisal denied that the meeting will discuss the issue of alienating the Iraqi President and his departure to exile. He said "I have not heard that Turkey or other participating countries have proposals on alienating Saddam Hussein." He renewed his country's rejection of the principle of this matter on the ground that "the change is an Iraqi issue." He considered that the news which talk on a summit for the 6 countries are not precise and that no genuine consultations were held to this effect.

As for the Palestinian issue al-Faisal stressed that "Israel and throughout its daily practices proves that it does not want peace, rather uses and seeks means to evacuate the Palestinians from their homeland and rejects any attempt to establish peace."