On the first anniversary of 11 September a leading Palestinian, Edward Said, has warned the US against taking further military action against Iraq.

Click here to watch the full interview

In an interview for BBC HARDtalk, Mr Said told Tim Sebastian that many Arab countries are keen to seek a diplomatic solution to the Iraqi crisis.

I think it's possible to salvage something from the ruins

Edward Said

Mr Said, who for many years been a spokesman in America for the Palestinian cause, said: "I think it's possible to salvage something from the ruins, but it cannot be done quickly unfortunately, and it cannot be done by military means and that's what makes me so despondent."

Diplomacy

Earlier this week Amr Moussa, Secretary General of the Arab League, called for UN peace inspectors to be allowed to return to Iraq.

Amr Moussa: seeking diplomatic solution on Iraq

At the meeting of the 22 states of the Arab League in Egypt, Mr Moussa said that he still hoped that a peaceful solution could be found.

Mr Said told interviewer, Tim Sebastian, that he believed many Arab states are keen to avoid military action because they are worried about a possible backlash from their own people if they support the US.

He said: "I think for the most part most of these rulers who are publicly opposing the projected American invasion are worried about their own regimes."

Neighbours

In 1991 a US-led military campaign 'Operation Desert Storm' removed Iraq from Kuwait after they had invaded the previous year.

An alliance of 28 countries, which included France and Egypt, took part.

France, along with Germany, Russia and China have expressed reservations about the need for further military action against Iraq. Mr Said claimed that there is not the same level of support today, because a decade later relations have improved been Iraq and its neighbours.

I think the United States is simply provoking more problems

Edward Said

He said, Saddam's neighbours "seem not to think that he's a threat."

He explained: "The Saudi Arabians, the Kuwaitis, who have the most to complain about since he invaded and occupied their country, the other Arabs, seem not to think he's a threat because they won't join a coalition with the United States.

"Most of the Gulf states now do business with him. He's certainly on good terms with Jordan, he's not on terrible terms with Syria and there's trade and diplomatic relations between him and the Egyptians."

And he added: "I think the United States is simply provoking more problems by entering into an area and setting up the goal of changing governments."

The interview can be watched in full on Wednesday 11 September on BBC World and BBC News 24 at the following times:

BBC News 24 (times shown in BST) 0430, repeated 2230

BBC World (times shown in GMT) 0330, repeated 0830, 1130, 1530, 1830, 2330