Gulf nations balking at U.S. campaign
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Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Monday, September 17, 2001
CAIRO Ñ Arab states are becoming increasingly wary of a proposed
U.S. campaign against international terrorism.
Virtually all Arab League members appear unwilling to supply military
troops or provide logistical support for U.S. or Western forces in any
attack against Saudi billionaire fugitive Osama Bin Laden or any of his
government sponsors, Arab diplomatic sources said. The United States is believed to
require bases in the Persian Gulf and Pakistan to launch a sustained attack
on Bin Laden bases in Afghanistan.
The sources said many governments in the Middle East have
expressed reservations over a demand by the United States to join an
international coalition against terrorism and have
imposed conditions on such participation.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said such a coalition must be under the
auspices of the United Nations. Instead of military retaliation, Mubarak has
called for an international conference against terrorism under UN auspices.
"A coalition grouping a select number of countries must not be formed
since that will not permit decisive and collective international action
against terrorism," Mubarak said. "It would be better to hold an
international conference against terrorism under the auspices of the United
Nations to adopt binding resolutions for all the countries of the world."
Gulf Cooperation Council states are said to be particularly worried over
a U.S. attack. The fear, Gulf diplomatic sources, is that they will be face
both a domestic backlash as well as Iraqi-sponsored insurgency attacks.
"There is no doubt that the situation is dangerous and that nobody knows
what will happen," a Gulf Arab official told the London-based Al Hayat daily
on Monday. "The Americans are intent on a military operation and we can only
hope that this will not have repercussions on the region."
Some Arab League members, such as Algeria, Egypt, Jordan and Morocco,
have expressed willingness to provide the United States with intelligence
information on Islamic insurgents said to be aligned with Bin Laden. Algeria
has already submitted a list of 350 names.
In Israel, officials have endorsed a U.S. coalition against terrorism.
But the government appears divided over a U.S. demand to meet Palestinian
Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat.
Peres said Arafat has given his security agencies an order to stop fire
against Israel. Peres said he received such information from Israeli
intelligence agencies.
For his part, Arafat said he is ready to meet Peres at any time and at
any place. Sharon has stopped Peres from meeting Arafat. But he said he
would allow such a meeting if the Palestinians impose 48 hours of calm.
"If there are 48 hours of absolute calm, Shimon Peres will meet Arafat
to further discuss a ceasefire," Sharon said.
Israeli military sources, however, have warned the government of
repercussions of any U.S. attack on Iraq. The sources said such an attack
would result in Iraq firing the remainder of its medium-range ballistic
missiles toward Israel. A leading analyst, Haifa University's Amatzia Baram
said the missiles would probably be tipped with chemical warheads.
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