Saudi Arabia dismissed on Wednesday a media report that the kingdom had agreed to allow U.S. troops and planes based on its soil to take part in any war on Iraq.
Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal told reporters in the city of Jeddah that the Prince Sultan airbase -- home to most of the 5,000 U.S. troops based in the kingdom -- would continue only to enforce a "no-fly" zone over southern Iraq, its function since the end of the 1991 Gulf War.
Prince Saud also said the kingdom could reconsider the U.S. military presence on its territory once "circumstances change."
"The Prince Sultan airbase, it was set up to serve the purpose of the no-fly zone," he said. "That is what it is doing, and that is what it will continue to do. That is the use of the airbase. Only that," he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Washington Post quoted top U.S. officials and diplomatic sources as saying the kingdom and the United States had reached new agreements on expanded use of Saudi military facilities in any war.
The newspaper quoted a source as saying the two states had an agreement to allow the United States to conduct bombing missions from Saudi Arabia in the days after an initial wave of U.S. air attacks as long as no public announcement was made.
The Post said the agreement with Saudi would allow the United States to base fighter jets at Saudi airfields, as well as launch refuelling aircraft, surveillance planes and battlefield radar aircraft. (Albawaba.com)
