Saudi Arabia will not take part in a possible military intervention in Iraq, whether it is launched solely by the United States or has the backing of the United Nations (UN), the Kingdom's Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said on Monday.
Speaking on the second day of talks in Algeria on problems facing the Middle East region, Prince Saud said that even official support from the UN Security Council would not change the kingdom's decision not to participate in an attack.
Approval by the UN executive council would "oblige all signatories of the (UN) charter to help the Security Council in its mission," he said, adding, "But there is no doubt - on no country can it impose participation in a possible operation."
The priority for Saudi Arabia, Washington's main ally in the Gulf, was now "to protect Iraq against possible strikes", the diplomatic head said, according to AFP.
In remarks published Monday, Saudi Defense Minister Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz echoed Prince Saud's comments, saying, "The kingdom has a special status in the Arab and Muslim worlds as it is home to the two holy mosques (in Mecca and Medina) and will not sacrifice this status for the sake of anyone."
Prince Saud said he had discussed Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in the course of his visit. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
