Issue No. 610
Region
Previous issue
Site map
|
|
31 Oct. - 6 Nov. 2002 Issue No. 610 Region |
Current issue Previous issue Site map | |
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Recommend this page | ||
Rebuffing America
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are firmly against any war on Iraq. They may even be exerting pressure on those Gulf countries still sitting on the fence, reports Michael Jansen from Dubai
The Bush administration's determination to wage war against Iraq is undermining its drive to secure allies and a tougher UN Security Council resolution. While France and Russia have argued with Washington over the "unacceptable" draft it submitted to the Security Council, two of its key allies in the Gulf have come out firmly against war.
The first to take a stand was the United Arab Emirates. Its president, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al- Nahyan, urged the Arabs to "do everything they can to avert war against Iraq. We believe that any hasty decision by any party will not be in the interests of the region."
This, the first statement by Sheikh Zayed on the Iraq issue, suggests that the UAE would not participate in or provide facilities for any US military campaign.
His remarks were followed by a very clear declaration of policy by Saudi Defence Minister Prince Sultan Bin Abdel-Aziz. He said that the kingdom would not be bound by any Security Council resolution on Iraq if it jeopardised the country's national interests.
"We don't have the ability to oppose the resolutions of the United Nations or the Security Council. But we are not obliged to implement what is said. We give priority to the interests of our country, then of Arabs and Muslims."
This declaration was particularly significant for two reasons. Firstly, it came from Prince Sultan, second in line to the throne and a leading member of the pro-US Sudairi faction of the royal family, rather than Crown Prince Abdullah, who adopts a more pan-Arab policy. An authoritative source in Dubai said that, contrary to reports in the Western press of divisions in the ruling family, it can be expected to stick together to face the current crisis.
Secondly, and more importantly, Prince Sultan's statement amounted to an abrupt volte face. It reversed the policy enunciated several weeks earlier by Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Saud Al-Faisal, who said that Riyadh would go along with a new Security Council resolution mandating the use of force against Iraq if this was authorised under Chapter VII of the UN Charter.
This section provides for UN action against threats to international security and collective and individual self defence.
When this statement of policy was ignored by Western politicians and media, Prince Sultan elaborated. He said the kingdom "will not provide any assistance for any strikes against Iraq. The kingdom has a special status in the Arab and Muslim world, as it is home to the two holy mosques [at Mecca and Medina]. It will not sacrifice this status for the sake of anyone."
This means that Saudi Arabia will not permit the US and Britain to use any of its bases for an offensive against Iraq or move forces by land or air through Saudi sovereign space. The prince said he did not believe a US offensive against Iraq was "inevitable".
Prince Saud Al-Faisal quickly stepped in to reverse his earlier assertion. "We will refuse to enter into a war against Iraq. I never said that Saudi Arabia agrees to allow the use of its territory to strike Iraq," Prince Saud said. "If the Security Council issued a new resolution under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, every country would have to co-operate accordingly, but this resolution would not force every state to participate in the war and open its sky and land for use [in that war]," he added. He said Riyadh would attempt to ward off a war against Iraq by diplomatic means.
On 26 October, Prince Saud praised Iraq's decision to readmit UN arms inspectors and said this should "avert a [US] strike and lead to a settlement by legitimate means on the basis of UN Security Council resolutions. We have repeatedly stressed our keenness to spare Iraq any military strike."
The clear anti-war stand adopted by the Emiratis and Saudis is significant because it puts pressure on Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, Gulf states hosting US forces, to deny Washington the use of their territory as launching pads for any military offensive against Iraq. Last week's rumour, that a coup by army officers had been foiled in Qatar, could encourage the rulers of these three states, who claim that the US has not requested facilities to mount military operations from their territory, to consider adopting the Saudi stand.
Western and Arab commentators argue that Arab political figures may genuinely oppose war but they will "go along with" the US when it decides to take military action because they have no choice. This may, ultimately, be true, but by repeatedly stating their opposition to the use of force, Arab leaders are denying the US "Arab cover" for any operation.
|
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||
| ARCHIVES Letter from the Editor Editorial Board Subscription Advertise! |
WEEKLY ONLINE: weekly.ahram.org.eg Updated every Thursday at 20.00 GMT, 10 pm local time weeklyweb@ahram.org.eg |
 Al-Ahram Organisation |
