Saudi Arabia Continues Diplomatic Efforts to Secure Iraqi Compliance with UN Resolutions and Avert War

Saudi Arabia continued diplomatic efforts to help compel Iraq to abide by all United Nations Security Council resolutions, particularly those concerning elimination of weapons of mass destruction, hoping to avert a war that could have adverse repercussions for Iraq and the region. During January and February, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Saud Al-Faisal and other senior Saudi officials discussed the issue extensively with a large number of regional and world leaders.

King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah sent a message to President George W. Bush that was delivered by Prince Saud at the White House on January 30 that dealt with the Iraqi crisis, the Arab-Israeli issue and other topics. The meeting was attended by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz.

In a press statement afterward, Prince Saud reiterated Saudi Arabia’s desire to reach a peaceful settlement in the Iraqi crisis, adding that the Kingdom is confident that President Bush is doing his best to resolve the issue without having to resort to military means. Prince Saud went on to urge the Iraqi government to work closely and positively with the UN weapons inspectors in order to avoid the menace of war. He denied, however, that he had reviewed with President Bush any plan for persuading Saddam Hussein to abdicate and go into voluntary exile. What they had discussed, he said, was the Arab world’s concern about the expected repercussions in the event of the collapse of Iraq and the dangers that would be caused by its possible disintegration and the resulting social instability and chaos.  He confirmed that the initiative on Iraq proposed by Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz calls for giving the Arab countries more time to work for a peaceful settlement of the crisis.

Prince Saud said he had also briefed President Bush on his recent meetings with the foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, Iran, Jordan and Syria.  In a statement issued at the conclusion of their meeting in Istanbul on January 23, the six foreign ministers warned against the possible adverse effects of a war on Iraq and said that war should never be the only option for solving a problem. The joint statement affirmed that the people of Iraq had suffered a great deal from the repercussions of the two previous consecutive wars, and that, moreover, the entire region had suffered as well.  The statement declared: “We would like to urge the Iraqi leadership to work seriously and genuinely for restoration of peace and stability to the region.” It stressed the importance of Iraq cooperating with the UN weapon inspection team and the International Atomic Energy Agency in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1441. It also urged Iraq to settle outstanding problems with its neighbors and take decisive measures toward national reconciliation in a way that preserves Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Prior to attending the Istanbul conference, Prince Saud visited Cairo on January 21 for meetings with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Prime Minister Dr. Atif Obeid and Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher. At a joint press conference with Minister Maher, Prince Saud affirmed that Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other Arab countries were working to convince Iraq to meet the UN requirements to avert a possible war.

At his weekly press conference in Riyadh on his arrival back in Saudi Arabia, Prince Saud referred to the patience and wisdom in the words of President Bush that the military option is the last, not the only, resort and expressed the hope that this spirit would prevail. He commented that Saudi Arabia has made arrangements to deal with any possible influx of refugees from Iraq, but added that it is to be hoped that nothing like that will happen.

Prince Saud next traveled to Paris for meetings with French President Jacques Chirac and Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin on January 28 that focused on the Iraqi situation. Prince Saud said he had briefed the French leaders on Saudi Arabia’s assessment of the situation and what should be done to avoid a disaster of immense proportions in the region, adding that the Kingdom still hopes for a solution that avoids any division of Iraq and maintains the integrity of its territories.

From Paris, the Saudi Foreign Minister flew to London for meetings with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Jack Straw and other senior officials on January 29.

After his talks with Prime Minister Blair, which focused on developments relating to Iraq, Prince Saud told reporters: “We are all, in fact, seeking to find solutions to the Iraqi issue in order to avoid military action. This requires cooperation from Iraq with the Security Council on the one hand; and on the other, specific responsibilities on what it [the Security Council] should do so that the result is not a negative impact on Iraq’s integrity or regional sovereignty.” Prince Saud said he had conveyed a message from King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah to Mr. Blair.

On February 9 Prince Saud attended a meeting held at Sharm Al-Shaikh, Egypt, between Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Libyan President Muamar Gaddafi and Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to discuss the Iraqi crisis.

Prince Saud next attended the extraordinary meeting of the foreign ministers of the League of Arab States in Cairo on February 16. After the meeting, Prince Saud said he had presented a full report on talks held by Saudi officials during visits to a number of countries regarding the issue of Iraq and confirmed that no conclusion had been reached regarding the convening of an extraordinary Arab Summit.

As part of the ongoing Saudi diplomatic effort to resolve the crisis peacefully, Crown Prince Abdullah spoke by telephone with President George W. Bush on February 17 and discussed the latest developments. President Bush also sent a message to Crown Prince Abdullah that was delivered by U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Robert Jordan on February 19.

Speaking at a press conference in Riyadh in February, Prince Saud noted that in the event of war, Saudi Arabia would be concerned about instability and internal fighting in Iraq. Warning that disintegration of Iraq’s internal security could lead to regional instability, he added that military action should aim not at punishing or occupying Iraq but at maintaining the country’s unity and sovereignty.