Posted on 10/10/2002 4:03:32 PM PDT by RCW2001
DONNA ABU-NASR, Associated Press Writer
Thursday, October 10, 2002
©2002 Associated Press
URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2002/10/10/international1418EDT0740.DTL
(10-10) 14:30 PDT RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) --
Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Prince Saud, said Thursday that an attack on Iraq by the United States would anger the Arab world and spawn more terrorism.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Saud pointed to an attack this week in Kuwait -- in which two gunmen killed a U.S. Marine -- and said more like it would follow if military action were launched against Iraq without destroying terrorist groups first.
The gunmen, who were shot dead, were "connected to terrorists," said Saud. "You're adding something new for the terrorists to target in doing this (attacking Iraq) before you finish the war on terrorism."
Still, he said Saudi Arabia would cooperate with any U.N.-approved effort to address Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, even one calling for use of force -- even though the kingdom will not participate in any attack.
Saud spoke sitting in a plush chair in his office at the Foreign Ministry, wearing the traditional white-and-red-checkered headdress and a white robe, his shoulders draped with a beige cloak trimmed in gold.
Asked whether he believed Saddam has weapons of mass destruction, Saud said: "I think the threat is there and ... and the way to remove that threat is to have the inspectors back to do their job."
The U.N. Security Council is debating whether to adopt a new resolution to toughen weapons inspections after Iraqi agreed to allow inspections to resume after nearly four years. Washington also wants to include a threat of force if Baghdad does not comply.
Saud said that if a new resolution authorizes force under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, "then every country is obligated to cooperate with the United Nations in this."
"This does not mean that every nation is obligated to fight or to use its territory in the conflict, but to follow the objective of the resolution by the United Nations," Saud added.
Chapter 7 of the charter allows collective use of force, under the Security Council, in cases of threats to international peace and security.
When asked if Saudi Arabia would send a clear "no" to the United Nations if asked for the use of its territory in a strike against Iraq, Saud said: "We are not going to join in the military action, but if the United Nations takes a decision in this, we will cooperate with it."
"We will cooperate with the United Nations actions like every other country, (but) not as a member of the forces that will be undertaking missions for the United Nations," he added.
Saud made clear he believes military action against Iraq should be put off until Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terror network is dealt with.
"If we divert attention from the fight on terrorism it goes without saying the terrorists will become more active," he added.
He noted that emotions in the Arab world already are running strong against U.S. policy in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which Arabs generally consider too biased toward Israel.
"Terrorists will be able to utilize the war on Iraq to add to the number of issues they will raise against the United States and the West," the prince said.
"Undoubtedly al-Qaida's efforts have been affected by the war on it so far," he said. "But lately, since the talk about an attack on Iraq, we have seen a rise (in attacks) ... This bodes ill."
The Bush administration has sought to link its drive to remove Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein to the war on terror, saying he could give weapons of mass destruction to terrorists and intimating that some al-Qaida figures have passed through Iraqi territory. No concrete evidence linking Iraq and al-Qaida, however, has been presented.
Arab nations uniformly have come out against a U.S. military campaign to oust Saddam, even though there is little love regionally for the Iraqi leader.
Most Arab nations joined the U.S.-led Gulf War coalition that liberated Kuwait in 1991, with Saudi Arabia inviting U.S. troops to the oil-rich kingdom to help defend it against Saddam's forces.
Saud said his country has made more arrests related to al-Qaida but refused to give details.
"We are doing everything we can," said Saud. "We are aware of the danger, we are aware of the threat and ... we will leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of these people."
Fifteen of the 19 hijackers in the Sept. 11 attacks were Saudi, a fact that has put a strain on the traditionally strong ties between Washington and Riyadh.
Saud also confirmed that his government has informed the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh that his country may subject Americans to fingerprinting as part of their visa or entry process, as the United States is doing to some foreign visitors, including Saudis, in the wake of Sept. 11.
Under the U.S. system, which went into effect this month, selected visitors are fingerprinted, photographed and interviewed by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service upon arrival to the United States.
"If unilateral actions are taken against citizens of this country then that opens the way for the only response to a unilateral action ... (and that) is to do the same thing," he said.
©2002 Associated Press
The photos and printing are not some type of punishment, but are a protective device... Saud doesn't get that.
So what? Why would any American civilian WANT to enter Saudi Arabia?
Those who are there now should leave ASAP. Americans who are still there (oil workers) when the shooting starts have only themselves to blame for whatever happens to them. It could be very ugly.
So you mean to tell us that the arab world is not angry with us now? sheesh
By the US congress authorizing the use of force before the UN does already makes the UN irrelevent. Because it doesn't matter what they do now. Getting the UN to fall in line will now be viewed as a bonus instead of a necessity from now on.
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