Posted on 12/30/2002 7:16:41 AM PST by knighthawk
RIYADH: A senior Saudi official denied reports of a secret promise by Riyadh to make its airspace and bases available for use by the United States in the event of war against Iraq, in remarks published on Monday.
"This report is untrue. The kingdom's position on this issue has been very clear from the start," Deputy Defence Minister Prince Abdulrahman bin Abdul Aziz told Okaz daily.
The New York Times on Sunday quoted senior US military officials as saying Riyadh would make its airspace, air bases and an important operations center available to the United States in a possible war with Iraq.
Saudi Arabia was the main staging area for American forces in the 1991 Gulf war, but conflicting public statements by top Saudi officials over the past several months have cast doubt on Saudi Arabia's assistance against Iraq.
American commanders told the Times they have been given private assurances in recent weeks that they will be allowed to run an air war against Iraq from a sophisticated command centre at Prince Sultan Air Base outside Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's capital- the same command post that ran the air campaign in Afghanistan.
They said refuelling, reconnaissance, surveillance and cargo planes would be allowed to fly from Saudi bases, using Saudi airspace on the way to missions in or near Iraq.
They also expressed confidence that the Saudis would ultimately allow attack missions, which are more politically sensitive, to be flown from their soil.
"Don't throw Scuds our way, please? We're neutral!! < wink-wink >
We can eliminate that festering rat hole as well.
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