Posted on 08/04/2002 5:16:05 PM PDT by knighthawk
TEHRAN, Aug 4 (AFP) - The top diplomat of another key pro-Western Persian Gulf state, Oman, used a visit here Sunday to express strong opposition to any US-led military action against Iraq, following the Saudi foreign minister the previous day.
Yussef bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Oman's minister of state for foreign affairs, said on arrival for a visit to Iran, "Our position is the same, ruling out any military option against an Arab and Muslim country."
"We are opposed to an attack on Iraq or any other Muslim state because we think that any differences with regard to the Middle East must be reesolved under UN auspices."
Oman currently heads the Perian Gulf Cooperation Council, which also groups Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Saudi Arabia and Iran had expressed joint opposition here Saturday to US military action against their common neighbour Iraq, when Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal held separate meetings with both moderate President Mohammad Khatami and his Iranian counterpart Kamal Kharazi.
The Omani minister is also to have talks with Khatami and Kharazi on Iraq, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and relations between their wo countries, which face each other across the strategic Strait of Hormuz at the entrance to the Persian Gulf.
The only reason any one of these jerkwater sheikdoms is 'pro-western' is the good old Yankee dollar.
I agree with the position that most of them are afraid any disruption of the Shiite-Kurd-???? factions in Iraq might bring some discomfort to their own little territories.
Tough camel dung.
Let's wipe Sadaam out and see how quickly they become even more 'friendly'.
OK, no problem. Next!
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