JEDDAH, 2 August 2004 — Arab and Islamic states do not at present want to send troops to Iraq, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa said here yesterday after talks with Saudi leaders.
“Arab and Islamic states ... in fact do not want to dispatch troops to Iraq and this is up to each state (to decide),” the Saudi Press Agency quoted Moussa as saying after the talks here.
Moussa, who left the Kingdom after a brief visit during which he met with Crown Prince Abdullah and Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, said the Saudi proposal to send Arab-Muslim troops to Iraq was merely an “idea” to help bring about a departure of foreign troops from Iraq rather than a full-fledged initiative.
He indicated Arab and Muslim states might overcome their initial reluctance to send peacekeepers there once Riyadh’s suggestions take shape.
“Maybe the picture will become clearer when the conditions (for a deployment are outlined or) when it develops into an initiative,” he said.
The Arab League chief said the main obstacle was the question of under whose command Arab or Muslim troops would operate.
“It is not possible for Arab and Muslim forces to go to Iraq and join the (US-led) forces there under a command other than a UN command,” Moussa said.
“There is no official initiative proposed to any of the parties; there are talks, discussions and ideas,” Moussa said, adding that the idea would have to be coordinated with the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) chair.
During their meeting, Prince Abdullah and Moussa discussed means of strengthening the 22-member Arab League.
They “discussed the latest developments in the Arab region and emphasized the need to reactivate Arab League’s role in carrying out its responsibility toward achieving Arab nation’s interests in all areas,” SPA said.
In another development, Prince Abdullah received a message from Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir. The message was handed to the crown prince by Sudanese Interior Minister Maj. Gen. Abdul Raheem Muhammad Hussein.
The Sudanese minister later met with his Saudi counterpart Prince Naif and discussed security matters and issues of mutual concern.
Sudanese Minister of Agriculture and Forests Dr. Majdoub Al-Khaleefa Ahmed and Sudanese Ambassador Othman Al-Dardeeri attended the meeting.
