Arab League condemns threats against Iraq

Arab League Secretary-General Esmat Abdul Meguid said the unprecedented American-British military threats against Iraq demonstrate the fact that striking at Baghdad is an objective in of itself and does not aim at implementing UN resolutions as Washington and London allege.

AFP quoted Abdul Meguid as saying in an interview with United Arab Emirates daily al-Bayan on Tuesday that the military solution is categorically rejected by the Arabs, stressing Arab support for Iraq. He added that the current situation in the Iraqi crisis is worrying and reflects a unilateral stand by the US, as all Security Council member state oppose a military strike against Iraq.

The AL chief also said Washington's intransigence was manifested through chief of UN arms committee Richard Butler's provocative statements linking Israel's security to striking against Iraq. Abdul Meguid, due in Baghdad today, said he is to discuss with the Iraqi government ways of solving the crisis and of assisting the Iraqi people.

Meanwhile, in Damascus, the General Secretary of the International Union of Arab Workers Federation rejected military threats against Iraq and referred to damages that would be inflected upon the Iraqis in case a military strike is carried out.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the secretariat called for finding a peaceful settlement to the current crisis based on lifting the embargo and on maintaining Iraq's unity and territorial integrity. The statement also called for mobilizing potentials of the Arab people to the confront dangers Arab nations are encountering.

Meanwhile, the permanent envoys in the AL on Tuesday held an extraordinary meeting to discuss the latest developments of the Iraqi crisis with the UN. The meeting came at the request of the AL secretary before his visit today to Baghdad.