May 27, 2003	Tuesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 24,1424

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ISLAMABAD, May 26: Chief of Qaumi Jamhoori Party (QJP) Air Marshal Asghar Khan (retired) has said the United States invaded Iraq to occupy oil reserves and to strengthen Israel’s control in the region.

Speaking at a seminar organized by Islamabad Citizen Society here on Monday, the QJP chief said the American fuel reserves were running out and, therefore, it attacked Iraq which had the largest oil reserves after Saudi Arabia.

He claimed that Israel had controlling influence on US policies and virtually dictated US policy in Middle East.

The veteran politician said the US supported Saddam Hussain during Iran-Iraq war and provided chemical weapons to Iraq and caused deaths of one million people.

He also criticized the US for destroying world’s oldest cultural heritage in Iraq and compared it with the destruction caused by Halaku Khan in 1258.

The Arabs can expect the same treatment progressively by the US as is being meted out to Palestinians by Israel, he cautioned, adding, this should not be surprising as this is how the original inhabitants of America (Red Indians) were treated.

He said the wealthy Arab states were under the influence of the US and most of them were busy fighting each other. “The rest of the Muslim world is in no better position”, the QJP president said.

He was of the view that people would resort to violence to express their sentiments. Suicide attacks are likely to increase manifold, he feared.

Former finance minister Sartaj Aziz said the US has once again started pushing the world towards a neo-colonialism. He said in this process the UN has damaged its credibility by allowing the invader to reconstruct and proved the proverb of “might is right”