King Abdullah Warns Against Striking Iraq

Petra

March 18, 2002

-- His Majesty King Abdullah II warned that any US military strike against Iraq will have dangerous consequences and affirming that dialogue is the only mean to solve the issue.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Time on Sunday, His Majesty said that a US.-led operation could too easily go "completely awry" and even backfire, producing a civil war in Iraq that could involve neighboring countries and even have a ripple effect in the United States and Europe.

"A strike against Iraq, the potential fragmentation of Iraq, the potential nightmare of a civil war as a result of an American strike, is something that I don`t think the region can handle," the King said, adding that Iraq`s neighbors are particularly worried about a new period of massive instability.

King Abdullah stressed that "if our aim is to win against terrorism, we can`t afford more instability in the area".

He added that the United States would be making a mistake to think that its military success in Afghanistan could be a blueprint for action against Iraq. "The vastness of Iraq, its strategic location and oil wealth, its mix of ethnic and religious groups and, in particular, the regional dynamics presented far more complex challenges than those in Afghanistan," King Abdullah said in his interview.

His Majesty said that Arab leaders had been "transparent and honest" about their deep concern over what could be the consequences of a US strike against Iraq. "I really wouldn`t make any assumption that there are different policies behind closed doors-- it`s unfair to say that," King Abdullah added.

Regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict, the King said that the Arab summit in Beirut would give across-the-board support to the Saudi Arabia proposal to offer Israel full recognition in exchange for withdrawal from the territories that it has occupied since 1967.

His Majesty warned against any Israeli attempt to prevent Arafat from taking part in the Beirut summit, adding that this would make it hard for the Arab world to do whatever is possible and positive with regard to the situation in the region.