MIDDLE EAST: Arab allies of the US reacted positively yesterday to the Bush administration's decision to give the UN a role in the disarmament of Iraq.
The Arab League Secretary General, Mr Amr Mussa, a former Egyptian foreign minister, said Thursday's address to the UN General Assembly was "a good thing because . . . the Iraq issue should be solved in the framework of mechanisms to be set by the UN Security Council, not through war," he stated. "It is possible [for Arabs] to deal with this."
Mr Mussa observed that UN resolutions on this issue should not be applied selectively. "They should be implemented by all, including Israel." Israel is known to possess an arsenal of at least 200 nuclear warheads as well as chemical and biological weapons and means of delivery.
The Egyptian President, Mr Hosni Mubarak, welcomed "the door the United States opened for the United Nations, especially the Security Council, to play a pivotal role in resolving the Iraq issue." He urged Baghdad to implement outstanding provisions of council resolutions and accept the return of weapons inspectors.
He stated: "I call upon the Iraqi leadership to seize this opportunity . . . and avoid serious repercussions." Reiterating Cairo's warning that "a military strike would destabilise the Middle East," the current Egyptian Foreign Minister, Mr Ahmad Maher, stated: "Because of practical reasons and principles, Egypt cannot support US military action unless there is a UN resolution [dealing with] Iraq's refusal to implement international resolutions. In this case, Egypt will support the resolutions of international legality."
While these statements suggested that Egypt and some other Arab states could give at least verbal support to a campaign against Iraq, the Qatari Foreign Minister, Shaikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani, indicated that the US might be permitted to use its territory as a launch-pad for an offensive against Baghdad. "The United States \ asked up until now for any permission for an attack from Qatar, and if they ask us, we will look at this very seriously."
However, he also urged Iraq to permit the return of inspectors and avert military action which could "destabilise the area". Al-Udeid airbase south of Doha has been upgraded as a replacement for Saudi bases, which, Riyadh said, cannot be used for an attack against Iraq, and 600 US Central Command officers are expected to be shifted to the emirate for a war game in November.
Other Arab commentators, however, accused Mr Bush of issuing an ultimatum to the UN with the aim of securing Security Council cover for a US-prosecuted military campaign against Iraq.
Jordan's al-Dastour said "a new Security Council resolution" would "open the door for American military action".
The Jordan Times complained that Mr Bush "failed yet again to show solid evidence that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction . . . Bush wants a war".
The semi-official mass circulation daily newspaper, al-Rai, asserted, "It is clear now that war is imminent" unless Iraq permits the resumption of inspections.
Al-Ba'ath, the newspaper published by the ruling party of Syria, another state on the Bush administration's hit list, said: "The American speech . . . forgot the fundamental issue in our region, which is the continued Israeli aggression caused by Israel's occupation of Arab land."