RIYADH, 13 January 2003 — Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, yesterday told a group of Arab thinkers and intellectuals he was "convinced" there will be no US-led war against Iraq.
"We are seeing fleets and concentrations (of troops) in the region but I have a strong feeling that there won’t be a war," the crown prince said.
"This is my conviction and my personal point of view," the crown prince told the gathering, cautioning that, "No one has spoken to me about war."
Saudi Arabia, which has long borders with Iraq, has been lobbying to find a peaceful solution to the crisis between the United States and Baghdad. Turkish Prime Minister Abdullah Gul held talks Saturday in Riyadh with Saudi leaders over a proposed initiative to end the standoff over Iraq and prevent war, and said time was pressing to find a peaceful settlement.
Riyadh has reiterated that its decision to join a UN-sanctioned war against Baghdad will be based on its national interests and the evidence of Iraq’s material breach of the UN Security Council Resolution 1441.
The crown prince insisted that "war is in no one’s interest", adding that Iraq was "dear" to his country.
"As you know, Iraq is dear to us. Its people are our people, they are a precious part of the Muslim and Arab nation," he said. "If the United Nations, God forbid, takes the decision to declare war (on Iraq), the Arabs will have only one request, that is to be given a chance to talk with Iraq about a solution capable of preventing a war," he said.
The United States has deployed tens of thousands of troops in the region ahead of an eventual military strike on the government of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, who Washington accuses of developing weapons of mass destruction.
In his address yesterday, Prince Abdullah also urged Arab and Muslim writers and media persons to work for the unity of Arab and Islamic countries. "We have to make intense efforts to unite the Arab and Islamic Ummah," the crown prince told Saudi and foreign thinkers and media persons who came to attend the Heritage and Culture Festival in Janadriah.
"We welcome all proposals that will benefit and guide us," Prince Abdullah said, adding that the present situation required wisdom and deep thinking.
Prince Abdullah blasted the ongoing campaign against Islam and Muslims. "We are targeted. The aim is not any country but the Islamic faith, but Islam will remain strong with the support of God and its followers," he added.
Prince Abdullah called upon Arab countries to cooperate with Saudi efforts to strengthen Arab unity. "I hope they will accept our proposals and I believe that it will solve many problems," he added.
High-level sources in Cairo, meanwhile, told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the Kingdom had handed its proposal for Arab unity to the Arab follow-up committee in preparation to presenting it to next Arab summit scheduled for March in Bahrain.
The Saudi proposal called for a new Arab charter that would ensure protection of Arab legitimate interests, realize just demands of Arab nation, promote Arab joint action and regulate inter-Arab relations.
The proposal also called for self-reforms and development of political participation in Arab countries. It opposed illegitimate foreign attacks against any Arab country and called for resolving all Arab conflicts peacefully. The proposal urged all Arab states to stand united against any Arab country which attacks a member state.
