Zayed urges Saddam to resign, go into exile
The UAE called yesterday on the Iraqi leadership to step down from power and go into exile to spare the region from war.
The UAE called yesterday on the Iraqi leadership to step down from power and go into exile to spare the region from war.
President His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, in a message to the Arab League summit at the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh, proposed a four-point initiative that suggested the Iraqi leadership give up power in exchange for regionally- and internationally-binding legal guarantees from any form of prosecution.
According to the initiative, Sheikh Zayed said the entire Iraqi leadership should leave Iraq within two weeks of adopting this Arab initiative. The UAE proposal suggested offering the Iraqi leadership "all suitable privileges".
The initiative called for a general pardon for all Iraqis inside and outside the country.
"The Arab League shall in cooperation with the United Nations supervise the situation in the country for a transitional period until Iraq could return to its normal situation according to the will of the brotherly Iraqi people," Sheikh Zayed proposed.
(Full text of Zayed's letter below)
The initiative was submitted to the Arab leaders to be examined by Iraqi, Arab and international parties. "It seeks to stop the Iraq crisis from drifting from bad to worse," he added.
In reaction to the UAE proposal, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud Al Faisal said the idea would be discussed in detail.
"We are sure that the United Arab Emirates under the leadership of President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan will not issue anything that is not in the Arab interest," he told reporters on the sidelines of the summit.
Later, Arab leaders concluded the summit by expressing their rejection of any war against Iraq or threatening the security and peace of any Arab country.
In their final communique, the Arab leaders agreed to form a committee consisting of the current, past and future summit chairmen and the Arab League secretary-general to present the Arab position to Washington, European capitals, the UN Security Council and consult with the Iraqi government.
The leaders welcomed the guarantees offered to Syria, a member of the UN Security Council, that the UN resolution 1441 would not be used as a pretext for a war against Iraq.
They welcomed Iraq's acceptance of the return of the UN weapons inspectors and giving them unfettered access to perform their duty. The communique praised the position of countries that rejected war against Iraq due to the dangerous implications it would have on the stability of the region and the world as a whole.
The leaders demanded more time be given to the weapons inspectors to complete their work, calling them also to carry out their duties with professionalism and objectivity.
They affirmed the responsibility of the Security Council to safeguard the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq as well the sovereignty and security of its neighbours.
They urged all countries not to participate in any war that threatens the security, peace and territorial integrity of any Arab country.
The leaders also affirmed the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to resist the Israeli occupation, and held Israel responsible for the collapse of the peace process due to its policy of occupation, destruction and killings.
Later at a press conference following the closing ceremony of the summit, Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, when asked by Gulf News why Arab countries dealt only with how to avoid war and not getting ready to handle the situation if war starts, said: "We are not going to support war, but do you expect us to launch war against America?" He did not say what kind of action or response Arab countries will have if war erupts.
Late last night, His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, returned home after attending the summit.
Sheikh Maktoum and his delegation was received by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Deputy Ruler and UAE Minister of Finance and Industry, and a number of officials.
See also: Editorial comment
Your Highness Brother Sheikh Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain, Chairman of the Arab Summit, Your Highness, Excellencies, Kings, Princes, and Presidents of Arab countries, Developments move very fast and bring with them huge and serious dangers to the Arab nation and the world because of the level the Iraqi crisis has reached. This crisis is getting complicated day by day and hour by hour, threatening to bring very serious danger not only to Iraq and its people, but on all of us and the whole world in general.
Holding the Arab Summit today (Saturday) provides a new opportunity for Arab leaders to contribute to finding a solution to this serious and complicated crisis. One that helps preserve the unity of Iraq and spare its people more losses and destruction; also help avert a war that undoubtedly will lead to the destabilisation in the region and the world.
Hence, from the position of our full commitment to the unity of Iraq, and to the protection of the long-term interests of the brethren Iraqi people, from our absolute conviction that Arab leaders should play a key role in finding a peaceful settlement to the crisis, from our full realisation of the circumstances pertaining to the crisis and its local, regional, and global dimensions, and for all the complications surrounding the crisis and its impacts, we have opted to address you dear brethren putting before you some ideas, and perceptions which we feel that could contribute for achieving something we are all keen achieve: the protection of the Iraqi people, securing its future, the unity of its territories, its sovereignty, independence, and sparing the region the serious impacts that might be caused by huge build up for military action which nobody can predict its results on the ground.
Brethren, Your Highnesses and Excellencies, I call upon the Arab Summit to announce an initiative that should focus on the following points:
* The Iraqi leadership decides to step down and leave Iraq within two weeks starting from its acceptance of the initiative on the condition that it enjoys all the suitable privileges.
* Providing legal assurances for the Iraqi leadership that it will not be subject any sort of legal action whatsoever, on condition that these assurances be respected locally, regionally, and internationally.
* Issuing a general and comprehensive amnesty that should include all Iraqis, inside or outside Iraq.
* The Arab League, in cooperation with the United Nations Secretary General, should take charge of supervising the situation in Iraq for a transitional period during which all necessary measures should be taken to bring things back to normal, the
