Saudi Arabia

Muslim security force proposed for Iraqis

With American support, Saudi Arabia is taking the lead in trying to form a Muslim security force to help Iraq overcome its 15-month-old insurgency, U.S. and Saudi officials said Wednesday.

Secretary of State Colin Powell discussed the issue with top Saudi officials after a stop in Egypt and had it on his agenda for today’s talks with Iraq’s prime minister, Ayad Allawi, in Jiddah.

“We’re taking this initiative because we want to help the Iraqi people reclaim their sovereignty as quickly as possible, because there is a tremendous desire in the Arab and Muslim worlds to help Iraq and because instability in Iraq has a negative impact on Saudi Arabia,” said Adel al-Jubeir, a top Saudi government foreign policy adviser.

He spoke to reporters after Powell’s meeting with King Fahd, Crown Prince Abdullah and Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal.

Washington, D.C.

General’s lawyer denies prison abuse claim

The lawyer for the American general who headed the U.S. military prison at Abu Ghraib denied allegations that the general personally witnessed abuses there.

Neal A. Puckett said Wednesday the claims were “absolutely untrue” and said his client, Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski, never witnessed any beatings or any kind of abuse at the prison.

In a videotaped deposition from Iraq played this week, Saddam “Sam” Saleh Aboud said he endured beatings at the prison. During one session, he said, his hood was removed and he saw Karpinski. Aboud identified Karpinski from a photograph in a news magazine shown to him by his lawyer, Michael Hourigan.

Puckett said if Aboud identified Karpinski from the prison, “it was at a time when she was making a visit to his area of the prison.” However, Puckett maintained that Karpinski never saw anyone being abused.

Belgium

NATO seeks consensus on Iraqi mission

NATO failed Wednesday to overcome differences on a promised training mission for Iraqi forces, with France resisting U.S. pressure for a high-profile alliance role inside the country.

Two lengthy, closed-door debates ended with no agreement. But NATO officials said ambassadors would reconvene today with the supreme allied commander in Europe, U.S. Marine Gen. James Jones.

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer was pushing the 26 NATO countries to reach a decision this week on how to carry out the training missions agreed to by leaders at their summit a month ago.

Paris fears sending a lot of NATO forces could be a first step to military engagement, and would likely undermine the new Iraqi government’s credibility and sovereignty.