UNITED NATIONS, March 25: Arab nations on Monday called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council demanding an end to the US-led war against Iraq and the withdrawal of all invading forces.

The letter demanding the meeting was delivered to Guinea’s Ambassador to the UN Mamady Traore, the current Security Council president, after the Arab Group finished a closed-door session.

“We want ... to stop the aggression against Iraq and the Iraqi people, and to withdraw foreign troops,” said Syria’s UN ambassador Mikhail Wehbe, whose country is the only Arab nation on the Security Council.

The Arab Group was following up on a decision taken by the Arab League’s foreign ministers in Cairo earlier on Monday calling on the United States and Britain to immediately withdraw from Iraq without conditions. Kuwait was the lone dissenter in that vote in the 22-member Arab League. However, Kuwait’s UN Ambassador Mohammed Abulhasan said his government did not object to the Arab Group’s call for a council meeting.

“We will ask that the invasion stop, that the invading forces will be withdrawn, and that Iraq’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence will be preserved,” said Arab League Ambassador Yahya Mahmassani. “It’s vital, it’s important that the meeting of the Security Council takes place as soon as possible.”

Russia too has asked for a council meeting. Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said in Moscow on Monday: “The United Nations and the Security Council cannot, of course, remain without getting involved in what is happening in Iraq.”

In order for the council to meet, only one of the 15 members has to ask for a session. But with the body still bitterly divided over the war, there was no chance that a resolution demanding an end to the fighting would ever be passed because it would be vetoed, if necessary, by the United States and Britain.