Wednesday, February 26, 2003
Syria won't deal with US regime in Iraq: Khaddam
Agence France-Presse Riyadh, February 26
Syria will not deal with any US military governor expected to be installed in Baghdad following the overthrow of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, Vice President Abdel Halim Khaddam said on Wednesday.
"I believe that no Arab with dignity will deal with foreign occupation forces," he told Al-Riyadh newspaper when asked if Damascus would work with a US military governor in Baghdad.
Khaddam said US military rule in Iraq, a scenario proposed by Washington after a US-led war on Baghdad, would destabilise the whole region and threaten the independence of most Arab countries.
US occupation of Iraq "means that independence and sovereignty of all states in the region will cease to exist as the fate of these countries will be decided by a foreign power," he said in an interview.
Khaddam called for an Arab summit scheduled for this weekend to be postponed until after March 14, allowing Iraq time to cooperate further with weapons inspectors, saying that if the summit is held before that the Arabs will emerge divided.
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