Arab League warns US against Iran attack
2007-01-25


Reuters - 25 January, 2007

The threat of a US attack on Iran is very serious and would risk spreading sectarian violence throughout the Middle East, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa said yesterday.

"It's a 50/50 proposition, and we hope that it won't happen. Attacking Iran would be counterproductive," Moussa said at the World Economic Forum here. US President George Bush in his State of the Union address on Tuesday spoke of an "escalating danger" from Shi'ite extremists, many taking direction from Iran. Bush called them just as dangerous to the United States as Al Qaeda.

Moussa advocated dialogue rather than military action to resolve both Iraq and US-Iranian tensions. "If there were to be a war, other genies will get out of the bottle. You cannot imagine the impact on the Gulf countries, on the Mediterranean," Moussa said.

His concern over an looming US-Iran confrontation was shared by business leaders and political commentators at an opening session on the Middle East at the Forum. Some said it would risk sectarian divisions spilling over and ripping at the fabric of other nations, such as Lebanon, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. It would also undermine strong economic growth in many Arab countries in the past three years. This growth is important for stabilising the region, they said.

Moussa also said that Bush's plan to build up troops in Iraq and pursue a military solution will not resolve sectarian clashes that are ripping the country apart, he said. "Iraq is broken," Moussa said. He proposed a diplomatic solution, advocating a United Nations' Security Council resolution that Iraq should not be partitioned, an agreement on reconciliation and amendment to its constitution.

Moussa also threw his support behind renewal of long-suspended Israeli-Palestinian peace initiative, saying time is running out to make real progress. "What we need is a process of peace, but a viable process of peace not just photo opportunity," he said.

IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis Website: www.imra.org.il

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