Saudi playing US stooge: Iraq media

“From the soil of these two countries raids were launched and savage attacks continue on Iraq and its people, with the agreement of the two countries,” the paper, owned by Iraqi president Saddam Hussein’s eldest son Uday, said.

Iraqi officials had yesterday vehemently dismissed a Saudi proposal to have United Nations sanctions eased. “It is Iraq which is exposed to threats from some of its neighbours and not Iraq which is threatening these two states,” the Babel editorial said.

The official Baghdad daily Al-Qadissiya saidIraq was urging “sincere dialogue among Arab states to identify the facts including the participation of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in the aggression on Iraq and to condemn this participation.”

Meanwhile, PTI reports said Iraq kept up its threat to defy UN resolutions even as United States vowed to strike back at new Iraqi challenges saying President Saddam was becoming more frantic and agitated.’

“As a representative of the people of Iraq, I believe that parliament is right to call (for Iraq) to stop respecting the (UN) resolutions,” Iraqi national assembly speaker Saadun Hammadi said on state television a day after US warplanes blasted an Iraqi missile site in the latest string of clashes between Baghdad and Washington.

“These resolutions are unjustified, legally and morally. If the Security Council does not respect its commitments, why should Iraq?” Hammadi asked. The Iraqi parliament on Sunday recommended that Saddam rescind recognition of UN resolutions setting Iraqi borders which fueledfresh tension in the Gulf.