Kuwait Not to Take Part in War Against Iraq: Speaker

Speaker of the Kuwait National Assembly (parliament) Jassem Mohammed Al-Khorafi affirmed Sunday that his country would not be a party in a prospected military strike on Iraq, Kuwait's official KUNA news agency reported.

The speaker denied allegations that Kuwait would cover some costs of the war, saying "we are not a party in this war as we are only parties in the signed security agreements with the states for protection of Kuwait and its stability."

Kuwait is not ashamed of the security agreements it had signed with the United States, Russia, France, Britain and China followingthe 1990 events, Al-Khorafi said, alluding to the unprovoked Iraqi aggression on the oil-rich Gulf state.

He also expressed hope that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein wouldcooperate with the international community, abide by the relevant UN resolutions and maintain his credibility to spare his people andthe region perils of war.

He stressed that Kuwait has taken all necessary precautions in anticipation of the war, which he ruled out, expressing his belief that the current international military buildup in the Gulf would coerce Baghdad to implement the relevant UN resolutions.

The United States has recently intensified its military buildup in Kuwait, one of its close Gulf allies, arousing suspicions that Kuwait will be a key launch pad for a strike against Iraq.

People's Daily Online --- english.peopledaily.com.cn