The Iraqi newspaper run by Saddam Hussein’s eldest son, Uday, on Wednesday hailed the Gulf oil monarchies, traditionally close allies of Washington, for rejecting a possible US strike on Baghdad.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) adopted at the end of a two-day ministerial meeting in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday a ”respectable stance that (all) Arabs could promote in their international relations,” Babel said.
This stance ”lays out the bases of a collective understanding between Arab countries,” the influential daily said, calling it an ”objective approach” that could facilitate ”mutually respectful” dialogue with the West.
While the six GCC states rejected a US strike against Iraq, they also urged Baghdad to readmit UN weapons inspectors to ward off an attack.
The inspectors have been barred from Iraq since pulling out on the eve of a December 1998 US-British bombing blitz.
The GCC ministers voiced their opposition to war on Iraq without naming or criticising the United States, toning down unusually tough language by the Omani presidency of the Gulf alliance, whose members are close US allies.
The administration of US President George Bush has repeatedly threatened to launch a military strike to topple Saddam Hussein’s regime, which it accuses of harbouring terrorists and developing weapons of mass destruction.
Bagdhad denies the charges.
Meanwhile, in Washington, former US President Bill Clinton said on Tuesday evening he supports the Bush administration’s regime change policy and that he believes Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has acquired chemical and biological weapons.
Speaking on CNN, Clinton said if challenged, Hussein would use weapons of mass destruction in a desperate effort to hold onto power if the US military launched an attack.
”I think our policy to change regimes is a good one,” Clinton said.
Clinton also advocated pursuing renewed UN weapons inspections ”one more time”, but implied a military strike was imminent.
”The question is not whether we should go, but how and under what circumstances,” he said, adding the task of removing Hussein from power wouldn’t be a ”big military problem”.
Clinton was a guest on the Larry King Live show along with former US senator Bob Dole, who Clinton defeated during the 1996 presidential election, to announce their fund raised $105-million for college scholarships for the children of September 11 victims.
Foreigners who lost one of their parents in the attacks are also eligible for the fund.
When asked whether he wanted to host a talk show, which he has been reportedly interested in, Clinton didn’t rule it out in the future, but for now said he won’t do so because it would be too time consuming and prevent him from working on other projects. – Sapa-AFP