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.