Iraq accuses Saudi Arabia and Egypt of approving recent US military attack

Iraqi Deputy Premier Tariq Aziz accused in an article published on Tuesday by the Iraqi daily al-Jouhmouriyah both Saudi Arabia and Egypt of being told beforehand about the US-British attacks against Iraq and agreeing to the attacks out of their belief that these attacks would lead to the collapse of the Iraqi government.

Aziz said in his article that the crisis during November had given the governments in Saudi Arabia and Egypt the green light for the United States to launch the aggression through the statement released by the Doha meeting of the Damascus Declaration signatory states.

Aziz added that Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak agreed to the attack on Iraq after they received guarantees and assurances from US President Bill Clinton that the attacks aimed at changing the government in Baghdad.

Aziz wrote that the US president told his "puppets and hirelings" in the region, especially Saudi Arabia and Egypt and others involved in the November crisis, that what he was preparing this time was different from previous ones. The main target of the military aggression is to change the regime, Aziz alleged.

Aziz said that the aggression failed in realizing its set objectives.