EGYPT: The Egyptian President, Mr Hosni Mubarak, has repeated his warning against a military attack on Iraq. "An invasion and occupation of Iraq could lead to a violent civil war . . . because of the ethnic and religious diversity of this country."
Iraq is divided between Sunni, Shia and Christian Arabs, Kurds and Turkomans. Conflict "could lead to the partition of Iraq . . . and to a state of chaos and instability on a regional scale", he stated.
On the anniversary of the October 1973 Arab-Israeli war on Saturday, Mr Mubarak said a strike on Iraq would have consequences for many neighbouring countries and would be "in nobody's interest". He argued that the crisis between Iraq and the UN was about arms inspections not regime change.
"No country has the right to topple the regime of a sovereign country," he stated, adding that this was the "sole right" of its people.
Mr Mubarak, who played a key role in convincing Iraq to readmit UN weapons inspectors, said that launching a military campaign to punish Iraq for violations of UN resolutions "while keeping silent on what is happening in the Palestinian territories . . . would trigger popular \ anger and deprive international law of all credibilty".
During a tour of the Gulf, Iraq's Foreign Minister, Mr Naji Sabri, met the king of Bahrain, Sheikh Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa, who urged Iraq to comply fully with UN resolutions and "spare the region risks and tensions".
Mr Sabri, who handed the Bahraini ruler a letter from the Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein, reportedly discussed Sheikh Hamad's proposal for a visit to Baghdad by a high-ranking Arab delegation with the aim of defusing the crisis.
Tehran meanwhile has sent out conflicting signals over Iraq. While Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blasted US policy towards Baghdad, Israel and the Palestinians, the Defence Minister, Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani, indicated that Iran would adopt a neutral stance during any US military assault on Iraq.
