Report: Arab, Islamic states' stances toward NATO strikes on Yugoslavia

The French news bulletin Top Urgent has said that "as it is expected each of Libya, Iraq, and Iran opposed the NATO air strikes against Yugoslavia, each country for its own reasons, adding that Algeria has recently joined the list of countries which oppose the strikes.

The news bulletin added that the stances of Arab and Islamic countries toward the strikes ranged between total rejection and total backing, passing through a Libyan silence as Libya is linked to firm economic and trade relations with Serbia even in the years of siege as well as Serbian cadres taking posts in heavy Libyan industries in the "Mesrata" district. The report also said Serbian officers are taking part in training members of the special guard for Libyan leader Col. Moammar Gaddafi.

As for Iraq, the news bulletin added that relations between Iraq and Serbia go back to the beginnings of the Iraqi-Iranian war and the "former Yugoslavia" represents the main market for Iraqi oil and petrochemical exports. Since 1995, Serbian technicians have been taking part in the maintenance of radar and tanks used by the Iraqi Army.

The news bulletin said Iran's rejection for the strikes is linked to two matters: its presidency of the current session of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, a matter which prompts it to sympathize with the Muslims of Kosovo, but on the other end of the matter, Iran refuses the implementation of military operations without authorization from the UN Security Council.

This rejection is also linked to Iranian concerns over future US plans to expand NATO's operations outside Europe. The news bulletin added that the camp which supports the strikes is rallied under religious cleansing concerns. This camp includes the states of the Arab Gulf and Egypt, with each having their own concerns.

However, the report said, Saudi Arabia has its own fears and conceptions. Therefore, it sent its foreign minister to Moscow to help towards halting the massacres in Kosovo, in Riyadh's capacity as a leader in the Islamic world and to block the way before any Iranian intervention in the struggle beside the Kosovo Liberation Army as happened in Bosnia.