Riyadh: US and British "occupation forces'' should leave Iraq as soon as possible
and the United Nations should play a "central role'' in rebuilding the country,
regional Foreign Ministers said on April 19.
But after an emergency meeting to discuss "the future of Iraq in the aftermath of
the war'', the ministers stressed that the "final say'' on a new government must
rest with Iraqis themselves.
"Iraq is full of skilled people that know their own good better than anyone else,''
the host, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, said at the closing news
conference.
In a final statement, the ministers also called on the US-led coalition to fulfill
its obligations under international Law to "maintain security and stability'' in
Iraq, and to protect the rights of the Iraqi people "and their cultural
heritage''.
Until a new Iraqi government is established, "the occupying forces must restore Law
and security'', Prince Saud said.
"American forces are occupation forces, even the Americans and British have said
that,'' he said. "They cannot fulfill their obligations according to the Geneva
Convention unless they are called what they are.''
The ministers disagreed with US warnings to Syria for allegedly harbouring members
of the ousted Iraqi regime and developing chemical weapons, and urged dialogue to
promote regional stability.
The meeting included the Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Syria, Jordan,
Turkey, Iran, Egypt and Bahrain.
