Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Sept 03: The Gulf states along with all other Arab governments reject a new US war on Iraq, the Gulf cooperation council presidency said today, urging Washington to listen to Arab allies and drop plans to attack Baghdad. "We are looking for a solid Arab position tomorrow in Cairo about Iraq because all of us reject any US military action against Iraq," said minister of state for foreign affairs Yussef bin Alawi of Oman, which holds the rotating presidency of the six-nation bloc.
Referring to an Arab league ministerial session tomorrow in Egypt, bin Alawi was speaking to reporters during a break in a two-day meeting of GCC foreign ministers which has been extended into this evening in this red sea city.
"The United Nations is responsible for continuing negotiations with Iraq and the Iraqis should fully cooperate with the United Nations to solve the problem of weapons inspections," bin Alawi said.

Asked if the Gulf Arab states, all allies of Washington, could convince president George W Bush not to carry out threats to overthrow the Baghdad regime, bin Alawi said, "We will do all that we can to avoid this war.”
"The United States is a friend of the Arabs and we hope that they will listen to US."


The US administration alleges that president Saddam Hussein is again developing weapons of mass destruction, a charge Baghdad strongly denies.
"All of us are looking to destroy all weapons of mass destruction and this is an objective for all Arabs," bin Alawi said, apparently alluding to Israel's nuclear arsenal.

Bureau Report