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Al-Ahram Weekly 11 - 17 March 1999 Issue No. 420 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 11 - 17 March 1999 Issue No. 420
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Focus Special Features Travel Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters A fruitful meeting?
By Rasha SaadWith the ongoing US and British military strikes in northern and southern Iraq and the failure to hold a meeting in Damascus of an Arab League committee formed in January to press for the lifting of sanctions, the Iraqi issue is again expected to dominate the Arab League foreign ministers' two-day meeting due to open on Wednesday.
The Iraqi delegation, headed by Foreign Minister Mohamed Said Al-Sahaf, stormed out of the latest Arab League meeting held on 24 January to discuss the Iraqi issue following December's four-day US attack. Iraq protested the failure of Arab ministers to condemn the US-British military attacks and their refusal to unilaterally declare the lifting of sanctions imposed on Iraq since 1991 after it invaded Kuwait.
As a result, there are serious worries that Wednesday's meeting will witness more bitter exchanges between Iraq on the one hand, and Saudi Arabia and Kuwait on the other, as was the case in January's meeting.
However, according to Sultan Al-Shawi, Iraq's ambassador to the Arab League, there are indications that the meeting will be different and fruitful this time. Al-Shawi said that a recent tour by Al-Sahaf of 10 Arab countries confirmed Iraq's goodwill and intention to build positive relations with Arabs. "The target behind this tour was to make the Iraqi views clearer to all the Arab countries," Al-Shawi said. He added that walking out of January's meeting did not sever Baghdad's relations with the Arab League.
"Iraq wants the Arab League to play a major role in restoring Arab solidarity. Iraq has never thought of acting negatively towards the league even after the meeting of 24 January."
Al-Shawi referred to the fact that Saddam Hussein responded to a letter he received from Arab League Secretary-General Esmat Abdel-Meguid on 26 January. In this letter, the Iraqi president confirmed that Iraq is ready to establish a dialogue with other Arab countries in the framework of the league. He added that this encouraged the league to send its special envoy Ahmed bin Helli, assistant secretary-general, to Baghdad last week to hold talks with Hussein and other Iraqi officials. Though he did not reveal details of the talks, Al-Shawi described the results of bin Helli's meetings as "fruitful and encouraging".
However, according to reports, bin Helli failed to persuade the Iraqi government to cooperate with either the UN Security Council or the league's own committee formed to contact concerned parties at the Security Council in order to push for an immediate lifting of tight economic sanctions.
Iraq rejected the committee because it was not included in its membership. Chaired by Syria, the committee also included Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan and Morocco. Iraq complained that the committee included Saudi Arabia, which has been allowing US and British aircraft to use its bases to attack the no-fly zones. Following intense behind-the-scenes contacts, the committee was supposed to hold its first meeting in Damascus last week. But Syrian officials later said that the meeting was postponed "indefinitely" due to differences among its members and Iraq's refusal to cooperate.
Al-Shawi explained that Iraq sees in this committee a step backwards. "The committee would help in prolonging the sanctions," he said. Al-Shawi also argued that the main function of the committee was to work with the Security Council to lift the sanctions and to make sure that Iraq applies all Security Council resolutions.
"It is deplorable that countries like Russia, France and China believe that Iraq has discharged all commitments demanded in the Security Council resolutions and that sanctions should be lifted, while at the same time an Arab committee says that it will supervise the Iraqi performance, bringing us to zero point again."
Al-Shawi said that Iraq seeks to have an open dialogue with Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, and to tackle all the thorny issues which are preventing the restoration of normal relations.
However, he said that Iraq refused to have a dialogue with prior conditions or one in which it would be in the position of the accused. "Arabs should not live in the past, but should look to the future. Living in the past will weaken further the Arab nation and will prevent it from facing the Israeli threats and from pursuing Arab development."
Al-Shawi accused Saudi Arabia and Kuwait of being submissive to the United States and Britain. "We believe that there are no interests for Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in strikes against Iraq. We know that the US uses both countries for its own private interests."
He also refuted claims that Iraq is a threat to its neighbours. "This is a false pretext. Iraq has no intention of being a threat to its neighbours. Moreover, after eight years of sanctions and disarmament programmes it certainly has no capability and no reason to threaten its neighbours. On the contrary, it is Iraq whose sovereignty and integrity are being threatened by the US and British implementation of no-fly zones."
Al-Shawi said the Iraqi delegation will present a detailed report on the US and British attacks in the no-fly zones during the Arab League's upcoming meeting. Baghdad will also ask the Arab countries to condemn the attacks and to call for abolishing the no-fly zones.
The Iraqi delegation will present a second report on the thorny issue of Kuwaiti prisoners believed to be held in Iraqi prisons. The Iraqi government insists that it does not have any Kuwaiti prisoners and that what Kuwait has in mind were people who were lost in the chaos that followed the 1991 Gulf War. Al-Shawi added that Iraq itself had lost thousands of Iraqis during that war, including some key military officers.
