Gulf Arab States Back Drive Against Attack Suspects

22/04/2001| IslamWeb

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (Islamweb & News Agencies) - Gulf Arab states pledged support Sunday for the U.S.-led drive to find those behind last week's attacks on the United States and bring them to justice.
Foreign ministers from the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) also condemned any attempt to link Islam with the attacks.
A joint communiqué issued after an extraordinary session of the GCC ministerial council, also urged the international community to make every effort to halt the ''terror acts'' by the Israeli government against Palestinians.
The communique did not say what specific help GCC states would offer their U.S. ally in the event of military action against those Washington believes are responsible for the suicide attacks.
The foreign minister of Bahrain, the current chairman of the GCC, earlier said that the GCC states wanted any international coalition to have clearly defined objectives.
The meeting follows talks in Washington between the Saudi foreign minister, prince Saud Al Faisal who also went on an Arab tour recently. (Read photo caption below).
The Washington Post said Saturday that Saudi Arabia was resisting a U.S. request to use a new command center in a military base in Saudi Arabia.
The Post, quoting unidentified U.S. defense officials, said resistance by Saudi Arabia, which hosted U.S. troops during the 1991 Gulf War, could delay possible air strikes by weeks.
The meeting of ministers from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman comes amid growing Gulf Arab calls for an international alliance to stop Israeli attacks on Palestinians.
PHOTO CAPTION:
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al- Faisal speaks to reporters at Amman airport, September 5, 2001. Saud al-Faisal warned on Wednesday that the situation in the Middle East was ominous because of Israel's violence against the Palestinians. The Saudi prince also denied reports that his tour was aimed at paving the way for an Arab summit meeting that would bring together Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. REUTERS/Ali Jarekji
- Sep 05 7:30 AM ET