Iraq's number two Izzat Ibrahim, seeking to muster Arabs against a US strike on Baghdad, held talks in Manama Tuesday with Bahrain's King Hamad and the Prime Minister, Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa.
Bahrain's official BNA news agency said that the king and Ibrahim held a meeting focused on "questions of mutual interest" and bilateral issues.
On his arrival earlier that day, the Iraqi official met separately with Sheikh Khalifa to discuss "means to ensure the success of the Arab summit in Beirut" on March 27-28, BNA said.
They called for Arab leaders to adopt "resolutions that can consolidate joint Arab action to face up to the challenges facing" their countries, it reported.
Ibrahim, deputy chairman of Iraq's ruling Revolutionary Command Council, has been touring the Gulf region to discuss the crisis between Washington and Baghdad over UN arms inspections.
"Bahraini leaders will listen to Iraq's views" on the standoff with the United States, a senior official said earlier.
"Bahrain hopes Iraq will respect Security Council resolutions and help itself so that the Gulf countries can help it ... All Iraq has to do is conform to UN Security Council resolutions and respect its neighbors," he said.
Meanwhile, in Qatar on Monday, Ibrahim said the issue of UN arms inspectors, who have been barred from Iraq since pulling out in 1998, would be dealt with "within the framework of the positive dialogue with the United Nations."
Talks between Iraq and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan would resume on April 15, "and we have high hopes that the dialogue will resolve all outstanding problems," he told AFP.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri, who held a round of talks on the possible return of weapons inspectors with Kofi Annan in New York on March 7, is accompanying Ibrahim.
Ibrahim has already visited Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
The United States has threatened to take military action against Iraq and try to overthrow the Iraqi regime unless UN inspectors are allowed back in to check that Baghdad no longer has weapons of mass destruction. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
