Iraq's neighbours urge US withdrawal

Iraq's neighbours urge US withdrawal

Iraq's neighbours want US forces to pull out as soon as possible

The countries neighbouring Iraq have called for the US-led forces that toppled Saddam Hussein's regime to pull out of the country as soon as possible.

They also demanded the speedy formation of a representative government in the country, with a central role for the United Nations - something the United States has already excluded.

It comes a day after thousands of Iraqis took to the streets of Baghdad to protest against what they saw as a foreign occupation of their country.

The foreign ministers of the group of six states which border Iraq, plus Egypt and Bahrain, issued the statement after meeting in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh.

They also spoke out against the exploitation of Iraqi oil by foreign powers, and recent US threats against Syria.

IRAQ'S NEIGHBOURS

Saudi Arabia

Iran

Jordan

Kuwait

Turkey

Syria

Speaking after the meeting, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal emphasised the need to maintain the unity and territorial integrity of Iraq - and said any outside interference in Iraq's internal affairs would not be tolerated.

Prince Saud also said that UN sanctions against Iraq should be lifted as soon as there was a legitimate government in place in Baghdad.

The US wants to see a quick end to the economic sanctions against Iraq, freeing up sales of its oil which would help to finance the country's reconstruction.

In other developments:

• The UN says its first big food convoy to be sent to Baghdad, which had been due to arrive on Friday, is still about 100 kilometres (60 miles) from the city

• The Pentagon announces that it has released more than 900 Iraqi prisoners, leaving about 6,850 Iraqis in US military custody

• The UN refugee agency says more than 250 people trying to flee Iraq are stranded in no-man's land at the border with Jordan, waiting for permission to enter the kingdom

• Abu Dhabi television broadcasts what it says is the last known footage of Saddam Hussein - it shows a man who looks like him waving at a cheering crowd in Baghdad and was allegedly filmed on 9 April, the day US forces entered the city

• US Central Command in Qatar announces that Iraqi Kurds near Mosul have handed Samir al-Aziz al-Najem, one of the top 55 most wanted leaders of Saddam Hussein's regime, over to coalition forces

• An international team of zoologists and vets is delayed in Kuwait on its way to assess the conditions at Baghdad zoo, where many animals are without food.

The Middle Eastern states came together in Riyadh in the hope that the US would heed their collective call for a say in post-war arrangements, says the BBC's Heba Saleh.

But so far, she says, the US has resisted attempts from the region to influence its policy on Iraq, and there is little expectation that the Riyadh meeting will change that.

Our correspondent says Iraq's neighbours are concerned it will fragment into three small states - Sunni, Kurdish and Shia - which will almost certainly destabilise relations with minorities in neighbouring countries.

They also do not like the prospect of an Iraq dominated by the US, which would upset the fragile balance of power in the region and tip it further to Israel's advantage, she says.

'Legitimate government'

Prince Saud said the eight countries wanted to see a legitimate Iraqi Government set up "immediately if possible", but pending this, the occupying powers should ensure security in the country, which has been engulfed by looting and chaos.

MIDDLE EAST AFTER SADDAM

The after-effects of the war for the region

"[The ministers] underlined the obligations of the occupying powers under the fourth Geneva Convention to maintain security and stability... and underlined their obligation to withdraw from Iraq and allow Iraqis to exercise their right to self-determination," the joint statement said.

Iraq's neighbours also said they were ready to contribute to the reconstruction of the country.

In their statement, the ministers said the Iraqi people "should administer and govern their country by themselves, and any exploitation of their natural resources should be in conformity with the will of the legitimate Iraqi government and its people.

"Now Iraq is under an occupying power and any request for lifting sanctions must come when there is a legitimate government which represents the people... and which can comply with its duties toward lifting sanctions."

Iraqi opposition leader Ahmad Chalabi - widely believed to be the Pentagon's favourite to lead post-war Iraq - has said an Iraqi interim authority could begin to run the country in "weeks rather than months".

The ministers also condemned US threats against Syria for allegedly harbouring members of the ousted Iraqi regime and developing chemical weapons. They urged dialogue to promote regional stability.