CAIRO (Reuters) - The head of the 22-member Arab League said on Tuesday that Arabs would not stand for any attack on Iraq as an extension of the U.S. ``war on terrorism'' and said such a move would destroy the present global coalition.
Amr Moussa, secretary-general of the inter-government body and a former Egyptian foreign minister, was speaking a day after President Bush demanded Baghdad let international arms inspections resume or face unspecified consequences.
``We do not accept striking Iraq or any other Arab country,'' Moussa said in remarks carried on the Web site of Egypt's official MENA news agency and monitored by the BBC.
``Launching military action against any Arab state would spell the end of consensus in the international alliance against terrorism.''
He said that this Arab position would not be changed by Bush's comments. The U.S. president did not specify what consequences Iraq might face but said President Saddam Hussein, long an avowed enemy of Washington, would ``find out.''
Arab leaders have repeatedly said they oppose expanding the U.S. campaign, which has focused on removing the Taliban Islamic militia from power in Afghanistan, to include any Arab state.
There have been concerns in the region that Washington might launch strikes against Arab countries such as Sudan, Libya, Iraq and Syria, which Washington includes on an official list of states it believes sponsor terrorism.