Asia against U.S. strikes on Iraq

Asia against U.S. strikes on Iraq

Mike Patterson, Agence France-Presse

Asian governments have urged Saddam Hussein to comply with United
Nations disarmament resolutions, but even staunch U.S. allies in
the region have openly questioned the merits of any U.S. military
action to topple the Iraqi dictator.

Permanent UN Security Council member China is among the most
vocal and predictable opponents of a possible U.S. military
intervention, but fellow regional heavyweight and U.S. ally Japan
appears equally skeptical.

India, which has been forging ever closer ties with the Bush
administration, is strongly against any attack on Iraq, as is
Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim nation.

U.S. President George W. Bush has repeatedly warned that
Saddam's pursuit of weapons of mass destruction poses a threat to
the United States and its allies.

And speculation is growing that Washington is prepared to
launch a military campaign to get rid of Saddam, with or without
the support of trusted friends.

While Saddam raised the stakes on Thursday by warning the
United States that any new war was doomed to failure, Bush has
threatened to use "any means necessary" to bring about a "change
of regime" in Baghdad.

Such sentiments have provoked growing unease in Asia.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told a meeting of
former premiers on Thursday he believed Bush should exercise
"self-restraint" over Iraq, Jiji and Kyodo news agencies
reported.

China in turn has made clear its objections to expanding the
U.S.-led "war on terror" to Iraq and has welcomed Baghdad's
invitation to the chief UN arms inspector for talks on resuming
weapons inspections.

China wants difficulties over Iraq to be "properly resolved at
an early date through political and diplomatic channels" on the
basis of UN resolutions, foreign ministry spokesman Kong Quan
said this week.

"China regards Iraq's invitation as a positive step and
welcomes it," Kong said.

Neighboring India has urged Baghdad to comply with Security
Council resolutions.

"India has consistently opposed armed action against Iraq as
it is counter-productive and would only serve to aggravate the
sufferings of the Iraqi people," foreign ministry spokeswoman
Nirupama Rao said on Tuesday.

Indonesia also stressed the need for a peaceful resolution.
Jakarta believes "there is a need for the Iraqi government to
comply with the relevant Security Council resolutions," foreign
ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa said on Friday.

In less diplomatic language Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir
Mohamad has slammed proposed U.S. strikes as unjust.

Mahathir, a moderate Muslim leader, said using force to unseat
Saddam would only serve to provoke greater hatred and dent the
Islamic world's efforts to show the "moderate face" of Islam.

"We don't think other governments have a right, no matter how
powerful they are, to change the government of another country.
That is an undemocratic thing to do," he told a recent
international Islamic conference.

"When you focus on Iraq, the people who will suffer are the
helpless people of Iraq and of course, you are going to arouse a
lot of ill-feelings," he said.

Even staunch U.S. allies Australia and the Philippines have
expressed caution.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard this week promised a
full parliamentary debate before Australia committed to joining
any U.S. action.

Howard said Saddam could not be left unchecked, but he warned
of consequences.

"In the end it is always in Australia's national interest to
see that the threat posed by people like Saddam are not allowed
to go completely unchecked," he said last week.

"On the other hand the country is a long way from Australia
and there are some consequences if any military involvement were
to take place."

Philippine Foreign Secretary Blas Ople said officials were
monitoring the situation, particularly regarding how it would
affect the 750,000 Filipinos working in the Middle East.

"The situation is tense, but it is different from saying that
there will be war in Iraq. So we have to be careful about
alarming our overseas population and their families," he said on
Friday.