"The Arabs are in a situation of extreme weakness, above all at this historic time," Mussa told the Arabic-language daily Asharq Al Awsat, published in London and printed in a dozen Arab-speaking nations.

"Some Arab states wanted the war, there are some which made preparations for it and foresaw a certain outcome," Mussa said, without being specific which countries he had in mind.

"But the tough Iraqi resistance to aggression has upset these calculations," he said. "The Arab League can no longer go on in its current shape and the whole system has to be reviewed."

Mussa told the paper, however, that this debate could not take place while the US-led war against Iraq was under way.

"Whether the Arab League continues or ceases to exist doesn't interest me," he said. "I'm interested, rather, ... by the strategic interests of the Arab states."

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