Saudi prince says Arabs back US on Iraq

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From the International Desk Published 9/11/2002 10:03 AM View printer-friendly version

CAIRO, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- Saudi Prince Talal bin Abdul Aziz said Wednesday the Arabs back a U.S. strike to topple Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and that publicly expressed opposition to such a move was merely propaganda for local consumption.

"There is a covert Arab-Western consensus on the need to topple Saddam," Talal told the Egyptian opposition daily al Wafd.

Talal, a half brother of King Fahd, is well known for his calls for reform in Saudi Arabia, such as his approval of Western-style elections, a practice unknown in the kingdom.

"When the Arabs claim that they are against hitting Iraq, they just want to appease Arab public opinion and because they fear innocent people in Iraq being harmed," he said.

Talal played down as exaggerated and blown out of proportion the ill effects that Arab countries say they fear U.S. military action would have. Amr Moussa, the secretary general of the 22-nation Arab League, said last week such action would open the gates of hell and cause major instability in the Middle East.

"The negative consequences already exist as the Arabs are divided and cannot agree on anything that might help the Iraqi people, in addition to the fact that Israel is playing with us," Talal said.

The prince, who holds no official post in his country, said a U.S. strike was inevitable and the U.S. administration was determined to topple Saddam, though it had not fixed when or how it was to be done.

The United States intends to change the regime in Baghdad even if international weapons inspectors return to Iraq, he said.

The whole world, including Arab states, Talal said, want the intervention to be backed by the international community and approved by the United Nations.

"Even Russia and France are seeking to safeguard their interests in Iraq regardless of who is president," he said, adding, "They all want a share of the cake in Iraq which sits on the world's second-largest oil reserves."

-- Anonymous, September 11, 2002


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