Archives

BEIRUT, March 25 (Reuters) - Gulf foes Kuwait and Iraq clashed at an Arab foreign ministers' meeting in Beirut on Monday, with a Kuwaiti minister accusing Baghdad of blocking any attempt to bridge differences between the two countries.

"There is no serious change in the Iraqi policy towards Kuwait," Kuwait's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammad al-Salem al-Sabah told reporters after a day-long meeting to prepare for this week's Arab summit.

"The faces have changed, the messenger has changed, but the message remains the same," he said in reference to Iraq's Foreign Minister Naji Sabri, who was appointed to his post late last year.

Sheikh Mohammad said the meeting failed to agree on the wording of a statement on the Iraqi-Kuwaiti rift after the Iraqi delegation refused to pledge never to attack Kuwait again and in return requested Kuwaiti guarantees to preserve Iraq's security.

Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990 and occupied it for seven months. A U.S.-led coalition drove Iraq troops from Kuwait in 1991.

The Kuwaiti minister said the "situation between Iraq and Kuwait" was discussed in depth at the meeting, but he requested that the issue be kept off the agenda of the Arab summit because of Iraq's hard line.

"If Iraq rejects the proposed formulas, then we want the whole topic dropped by the summit," Sheikh Mohammad said.

There was no immediate reaction from the Iraqi delegation, but delegates from other countries confirmed the meeting failed to reach an agreement. Asked whether Kuwait would join a possible Arab call to reject a U.S. attack on Iraq, Sheikh Mohammad said:

"In as much as Iraq is threatened by the United States, we are threatened by Iraq. You can't speak of Iraq's security in isolation from the security of Kuwait."

Speculation has grown about possible U.S. military action against Iraq since President George W. Bush labelled the country as part of an "axis of evil" along with North Korea and Iran. 

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager