Saudi Arabia has taken all "precautionary" measures to prevent Iraqi refugees from entering the kingdom if the United States wages war on Iraq, the interior minister said in remarks published today.
"There are precautionary measures in place to prevent the influx of Iraqi refugees into the kingdom in case war breaks out," said Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz, quoted by Okaznewspaper.
Saudi Arabia has a long border with Iraq and in the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf war thousands of Iraqis crossed into the kingdom.
Prince Nayef said last month the kingdom had upgraded its readiness at the borders with Iraq and warned "no one will be allowed to cross the borders into Saudi Arabia without the orders of the kingdom's leadership."
More than 5,200 refugees remain at Rafha camp in northern Saudi Arabia from a total of more than 33,000 Iraqis housed in the facility when it was set up in 1991, according to UN figures.
Prince Nayef also said the kingdom had no plans to evacuate tens of thousands of Saudi nationals from Kuwait because of war fears.
The kingdom's security agencies are prepared to upgrade their readiness when it is necessary to face the repercussions of the anticipated war, the minister said.
Saudi Arabia is prepared to deal with the possible use of nuclear weapons in the potential US-led war against Baghdad, he added without elaborating.
Meanwhile, Prince Nayef denied any link between the murder of the deputy governor of the northern province of Al-Jouf last month and the killing of a judge in the same area in September.
He discounted reports that some 92 Saudi militants had been arrested at a training camp west of the country as containing "exaggerations", but did not elaborate.
AFP