Kuwait said Friday the use of oil in the struggle against Israel is not in the interest of Arabs, but that it is prepared to stop the crude flow if it is the only way to restore Arab rights.
"I believe that it is not in the interests of Arabs to stop the oil now, because we might starve more than others," acting Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah told reporters before leaving for Cairo.
"But if oil is the only means to restore Arab rights, Kuwait will be the first to use it," said Sheikh Sabah, who will represent the oil-rich emirate at the emergency Arab summit due to open in the Egyptian capital Saturday.
The Kuwaiti chief diplomat also left the door open for an anticipated reconciliation with the Palestinian Authority during the summit.
"There are no differences between us and the Palestinian Authority. There were some disputes in the past, which did not mean a dispute between Kuwait and its government with the Palestinian people," he said.
If circumstances required Kuwait to work as "a helping factor" toward the Palestinian Authority, "we would be loyal to our Arab obligations," Sheikh Sabah said.
But he ruled out any reconciliation with former occupier Iraq, saying the issue of Iraq will not be discussed at the summit.
Baghdad was invited for the first time in a decade to attend an Arab summit and has accepted the invitation.
Kuwaitis have held several rallies in the past two weeks in protest against the killing of Palestinian civilians by Israeli forces, despite lingering bitterness toward the Palestinian leadership for its backing of the the 1990 Iraqi invasion -- KUWAIT CITY (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
