Posted on 07/14/2002 2:19:12 PM PDT by knighthawk
AMMAN, July 14 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa Sunday, July 14, said the pan-Arab organization and its 22 members were opposed to any U.S. strike on Iraq.
"The Arab League is a gathering of Arab countries and our Arab position is clear ... we cannot back any attack on Iraq or on any Arab country," Mussa told reporters in Amman, the state Petra news agency reported.
He was speaking after meeting with Jordanian Prime Minister Ali Abu Ragheb that focused on the Middle East crisis, especially the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and U.S. threats of attacking Iraq, Agence France-Presse (AFP) said.
Abu Ragheb meanwhile reiterated his country's firm rejection of a recent stream of U.S., British and Lebanese press reports suggesting that Jordan could help the United States attack Iraq, the agency said.
"The reports saying that Jordanian territory and air space could be used to carry out a military strike on Iraq are totally untrue," said Abu Ragheb, denying anew that any U.S. troops were deployed in Jordan.
Mussa also expressed his "total conviction that Jordan, like all other Arab countries, is attached to the decision of the (March) Arab summit that rejected any military action against any Arab country," Petra said.
U.S. President George W. Bush has renewed a pledge to use "all tools" at his disposal to oust Saddam, whom Washington accuses of developing weapons of mass destruction.
Mussa arrived earlier Sunday in Jordan to attend the opening ceremony of Amman Cultural Capital of the Arab World, a title bestowed on the Jordanian capital by the UN Education, Science and Culture Organization for 2002.
King Abdullah II is expected to attend the official ceremony which will feature a show rich in music, song and dance.
Well, just be sure not to gather in front of our advancing forces or you will be a scattering of Arab countries.
One letter... just one letter....
And yes, I know I'm a terrible person.
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