CAIRO, 17 February 2003 — Arab foreign ministers meeting here yesterday adopted a resolution rejecting “any (US) aggression against Iraq,” and pleaded for more time to achieve the peaceful disarmament of Saddam Hussein’s regime.

The resolution was handed to AFP by an Arab delegation on condition of anonymity.

The resolution, which is not binding and is purely symbolic in nature, also urged the 22 members of the Arab League “not to provide any kind of assistance or facilities that can be used to threaten the safety and territorial integrity of Iraq.”

However, it does not promise any specific sanctions against member states such as Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain that are hosting the US military buildup for a possible war on Iraq.

The resolution does not mention the United States by name. Neither does it mention a date for the emergency Arab summit on Iraq, called for by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, which is tentatively set for the last week of February.

The resolution also emphasized Arab states’ commitment to the sovereignty of both Iraq and Kuwait.

The resolution urged the UN Security Council “to give (UN weapons) inspectors sufficient time to complete their task in accordance with (UN Security Council) resolution 1441” on Iraq’s disarmament.

The ministers also welcomed “the continued cooperation of Iraq with the inspectors” and urged them to “keep on working objectively and honestly.”

The resolution also stated the Arab states’ determination “to continue working with UN Security Council members, the European Union, the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Non-Aligned Movement, to step up efforts in order to avoid a war on Iraq, and stop the military buildup aimed against Iraq and the region.”

It warned that “an aggression on Iraq ... would have dangerous consequences on the region while it still suffers from Israel’s policy of occupation and destruction against the Palestinian people.”

It also rejected “any plot or policy aimed at imposing changes on the region or interfering in its affairs”, in a reference to US ambitions to promote democracy in the Middle East, using a post-Saddam Iraq as a model for neighboring states.

Earlier, Arab foreign ministers and two top European officials held talks on boosting international efforts to disarm Iraq peacefully, as Lebanon called on Arab states to refrain from assisting the United States in waging war on Iraq.

Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou, whose country is the current European Union president, and European External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten joined the talks, becoming the first-ever non-Arab diplomats present at an Arab League foreign ministers’ meeting.

“It reflects the keenness of Arabs to consult with the EU in supporting international efforts to bring about a peaceful settlement to the Iraq crisis and avoid war,” an Arab League official told AFP.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud, whose country currently chairs the Arab League, opened the meeting urging Arab countries not to cooperate with US President George W. Bush’s plans to strike Iraq.

The Arab foreign ministers’ talks initially hit a snag on the draft declaration, Arab League sources said.

The head of Kuwait’s delegation left for home as his colleagues continued to discuss the Iraqi crisis. No reason was given for his sudden departure.

Before the meeting, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa struck a hard tone. “Arab states have agreed that they will not accept, cooperate with, deal with, rally to or facilitate a strike on Iraq,” Moussa said before the formal session convened.

Meanwhile, the United States and Britain considered giving diplomacy more time yesterday in the face of resistance at the United Nations to their plans for war to disarm Iraq and vast weekend peace protests around the world.

In another development, five giant US Air Force cargo planes disgorged hundreds of American soldiers at a military air base in southeastern Turkey yesterday, according to local residents.

The troops are believed to be mainly engineers and logistics experts who have been given the go-ahead by Ankara to upgrade Turkish military facilities ahead of a possible US-led war in Iraq. (Agencies)