Qatari press condemns US military threats

The Qatari press condemned the U.S. for seeking to impose a new order in the region and for trying to strike at Iraq through the cover of the U.N.

Doha newspapers focused on what they called US blackmail, the military buildup in the area, and the mentality which thinks of nothing but violence.

The newspapers described US Secretary of Defense William Cohen's recently concluded regional tour as aimed at paving the way for a US military strike against Iraq.

The Qatari people and government refuse any attempt to divide Iraq, the papers said. Qatari newspapers tend to echo the official sentiment.

Qatar has sent a plane full of medicines, food, and milk to Baghdad. Qatar is also resuming a campaign collecting signatures on a document calling for lifting sanctions against Iraq. The petition will be sent to the U.N. and a number of the international organizations.