DAMASCUS, Syria, Aug. 27 (UPI) -- Iraqi Deputy President Taha Yassin Ramadan said Tuesday that U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney's call for action against Iraq reflected a hatred of the Arab and Muslim nations.
Speaking after a meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus, Ramadan said Cheney's remarks "cannot but express the deep rancor and hatred for the Arab and Muslim nation."
Cheney on Monday said Iraq was "a mortal threat" and called for action over talk in efforts to oust President Saddam Hussein. He warned that inaction "could have devastating consequences for many countries, including our own."
Ramadan denied Syrian efforts to mediate between Iraq and the United States but said there "are consultation, coordination and exchange of opinion."
He refrained from confirming reports that Saddam and Assad recently met at the Syrian-Iraqi border.
Ramadan said threats of a military strike did not concern it because its people "are firm and holding together and ... international public opinion is increasingly rejecting the U.S. hegemony and tyranny."
Ramadan arrived in Damascus early Tuesday to preside over the meetings of the Iraqi-Syrian Joint Committee that will discuss several projects between the two countries estimated at $500,000.
Ramadan was also to visit Beirut for talks with the Lebanese officials related to a possible U.S. action against Iraq.
Assad confirmed that Syria will stand by "brotherly Iraq" and rejects threats to attack it.
He also emphasized his country's eagerness to consolidate Arab
solidarity to confront all challenges, according to the official Syrian
News Agency.
The agency said Assad-Ramadan talks sought to consolidate
bilateral ties in all fields as well as developments in the Arab region.
