RIYADH, 26 December 2002 — War is unlikely to shatter Iraq into smaller states along religious and ethnic lines because Baghdad and Washington agree on the necessity of preserving a single Iraqi nation, Assistant Minister for Defense Prince Khaled ibn Sultan said yesterday.
Still, the Kingdom and all countries in the region are planning for their nations’ security if a war against Iraq cannot be avoided and destabilizes the region, Prince Khaled said in an interview with the Associated Press. He did not elaborate on the preparations.
"If there’s one thing that everybody agrees on, including the United States and Iraq, it is we believe Iraq must be united and should not be shattered," Prince Khaled said. "I don’t think this is something we should be worried about. Are we worried there will be differences between the people themselves in Iraq? I think it is important to worry, but...I think we have to wait and see."
At an Iraqi opposition meeting earlier this month in London, deep divides were apparent in a conference convened to show unity and select a council to represent ethnic, religious and nationalist groups seeking a say in any post-Saddam Hussein government.
The United States considers Iraq to be in "material breach" of a recent UN resolution’s requirement to disclose complete information about its chemical, biological and nuclear programs — a declaration widely seen as a step toward a war aimed at ousting Saddam.
The Bush administration also announced it plans to nearly double its troop strength in the Gulf, adding 50,000 forces, and reports out of Washington say the buildup also would send refueling and support aircraft to bases in Saudi Arabia.
Prince Khaled, however, said he wasn’t yet aware of any US interest in sending more planes.
Prince Khaled said it remains in the Kingdom’s interest to host US troops. "We’ve been very close to the United States for the past 60 years and nothing can prove that (more) than the good work we did during the Gulf War," he said. "We shed blood together...and we continue to work closely with each other."
Senior Saudi officials have made clear their top priority is trying to avert a war that looks increasingly unstoppable, and that they oppose any unilateral US war against Iraq. On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal said even if the UN Security Council approves unilateral military action, Arab states should be given a final chance to diplomatically avoid a war.
If war breaks out, Prince Khaled told the AP, it is too early to say whether the Kingdom would be willing to participate in any multinational peacekeeping or security mission afterward. The Kingdom, however, is making plans to look out for its own stability.
"If war cannot be avoided, every country must and does have a plan how to (ensure) their security and to protect their country," Prince Khaled said. "We will do what should be done to protect our national interests — to protect Saudi citizens, the people, and to have security for the people in other countries," he said.
Prince Khaled said Saudi Arabia shares the US determination to fight terrorism "because, after all, it is against what we have been taught in our religion, Islam."
Prince Khaled is confident the war on terrorism can be won, if people "go to the root and stop it." That, he said, requires not allowing Bin Laden to drive a wedge between the United States and Saudi Arabia and understanding why he can garner supporters.
"Eighty percent of the problem will be solved once the Palestinian-Israeli issue is solved in peace and (with a) fair agreement between them," he said. "If you don’t treat them the same, then you will encourage terrorists and you will encourage instability."
In Iraq, UN weapons experts yesterday visited at least five suspect sites, vowing no let-up for Christmas, while President Saddam Hussein warned Iraqis the drums of war were beating louder. "We will continue work throughout the holiday," Mark Gwozdecky, a spokesman for the IAEA, said on Christmas Eve.
In a Christmas message, Saddam said the festive season this year was marked by circumstances "created by the powers of evil and darkness to spread chaos" in parts of the world. To achieve the goal of controlling the wealth of countries, he said the "forces of evil" resorted to "lies and deception, fabrication and false accusation."
Syria brushed aside Israeli accusations that it was hiding Iraq’s biological and chemical weapons. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Tuesday Israel suspected Baghdad was transferring arms to Syria to hide them from the inspectors. "Sharon’s allegations that Iraq has transported to Syria chemical and biological weapons are baseless and aim to avert attention from the nuclear, chemical and biological arsenal that Israel owns," the Syrian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. (Agencies)
