Riyadh: American forces in Saudi bases for defense

The Saudi defense minister Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz has stressed that his country's authorities have actually closed Ar'ar airport in the north east of Saudi Arabia near the borders with Iraq before civil aviation.

In press statements he made on Saturday, Sultan explained that the closure was made for merely humanitarian reasons, linked to potential flow of Iraqi refugees in case war erupts. He did not deny receiving technical aid from the Americans. He added that Saudi Arabia asked the help of the Americans in a political issue so as to be able to know what is taking place in the desert.

The Saudi minister indicated that the American forces took part in joint military maneuvers with the Saudi forces in Tabouk town to the north of the country, but he stressed that this is to defend Saudi Arabia against any outside threat, which he said might come from Israel.

Also on Saturday, the Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud al-Faisal denied what was rumored about the arrival of American forces at Ar'ar airport, stressing that Riyadh totally rejects the use of its territories in any military operations against Iraq.

This, however, came after the declaration made by the opposition Movement for Islamic Reform in a statement that the American air landing operations led to the closure of Ar'ar city airport, situated in al-Jouf area to the north of Saudi Arabia, before civil flights which were transferred to Sakaka airport, 150 Km to the south.

The movement, which takes London as a headquarters stressed that there is an agreement between the American and the Saudi governments on the use of the Saudi bases in case a war against Iraq is launched.