Iraq Urges AL Intervention to Halt US, British AggressionsIraq Friday urged the Arab League (AL) to intervene to halt "the continuous aggressions" by the United States and Britain, the official Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported.In a letter to AL Secretary-General Ahmed Esmat Abdel-Meguid on Friday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohamad Said Al-Sahaf elaborated the continuous aggressions by the US and British warplanes on December 9-15. The infringement were aimed at "harming Iraq's sovereignty, territorial integrity, infrastructure, civilians and civil installations," Sahaf said. Moreover, "We ask you to demand the Saudi and Kuwaiti governments to stop their logistic support to the aggressions," he added. Sahaf accused Saudi Arabia and Kuwait as "full partners" in the U.S. and British aggressions against Iraq, the INA said. U.S. and British aircraft use bases in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to mount their patrols and bombings of the southern no-fly zone which was imposed after the 1991 Gulf War, with the so-called aim of protecting the region's Shi'ite Muslims from "the persecution of President Saddam Hussein." A similar zone was imposed over northern Iraq with a claim to protect the Kurdish community there. Baghdad has never recognized the no-fly zones, saying their imposition has never been authorized by United Nations resolutions. |
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