Don't attack Saddam, warns Arab leader
An Anglo-American invasion of Iraq would destabilise the whole of the Middle East, a leading voice in the Arab world warned today.
The comments from Amr Moussa, secretary general of the Arab League, came the day after King Abdullah of Jordan warned British prime minister Tony Blair of the dangers of going along with US military action.
US President George Bush is widely believed to be planning an attack on Saddam Hussein’s regime - for which he is likely to call on British assistance - in a bid to counter the threat posed by Saddam’s alleged programmes to develop weapons of mass destruction.
Mr Moussa told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘‘Our position is clear, and a unanimous resolution was adopted during the last summit together with the initiative on the question of the Middle East, on peace with Israel.
‘‘The resolution was not to support, in fact to oppose unanimously, any invasion to any Arab country, or in particular Iraq.
‘‘It would threaten the whole stability in the Middle East, which is already under constant threat by the continuation, the aggravation of the Arab-Israeli, or Palestinian-Israeli issues and conflicts.
‘‘Therefore nobody needs more tension and issues to provoke again the public opinion.’’
Mr Moussa said he believed it was possible even at this stage that Saddam would allow the return of United Nations weapons inspectors.
‘‘The UN inspectors should return back to Iraq and verify the situation. The Iraqis have not rejected that proposal, they are negotiating the terms and certain points of clarification.
‘‘I believe this is what international legitimacy calls for, Security Council resolutions to be implemented.’’
