In the face of the growing tensions in the Middle East caused by
the threats of the United States to use military force against
Iraq, Arab nations have expressly stated their opposition to the
use of force against Iraq. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said
"The use of force is not appropriate." Official government
statements in Syria oppose military action and call for an end to
the U.N. sanctions against Iraq. Kuwait announced that the crisis
"between Iraq and the Security Council is an issue related to
them and Kuwait has nothing to do with it." In other words,
Kuwait will not support military action against Iraq.
The Arab League is on record as opposing the use of force
against Iraq. In a statement issued following the criminal U.S.
missile attack against Iraq on January 14, 1993, the Arab League
stated: "The Arab League rejects the use of force to solve
conflicts between countries and regrets the policy of escalation
against Iraq...which extended to include bombings of Iraqi
civilian targets inside Bhagdad, inflicting civilian casualties
amongst the brotherly Iraqi people."
The statement also stressed "once again its strong keeness
on the sovereignty, territorial integrity and safety of Iraq and
its people." The Arab League urged the international community
not to use double standards in applying UN Security Council
resolutions, "so that this method will not cause a loss of
confidence and trigger negative reactions in the Arab and Islamic
world regarding the credibility of international legitimacy."
TML DAILY, 11/97
Shawgi Tell
Graduate School of Education
University at Buffalo
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
