Hamzah reiterates strong criticism against Bush

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Ignoring the possibility of damaging ties with Washington, Indonesian Vice President Hamzah Haz repeated on Monday his strong criticism of the ongoing war in Iraq, saying U.S. President George W. Bush was the "king of terrorists".

"He is (a terrorist), he should have complied with international law," Hamzah said on Monday after attending a Cabinet meeting.

Hamzah, who heads the country's largest Muslim-based political party, the United Development Party (PPP), was not asked what international laws were being breached.

Military analyst Kusnanto Anggoro has warned that personal attacks on Bush may strain relations between the two nations. State officials should use more polite terms to express criticism of another country's policy or leadership, he said.

Hamzah said Indonesia would remain consistent in its political stance in relation to efforts to help end the war immediately and that it was too early to discuss a postwar government in Iraq.

"We maintain our efforts to end the war immediately and let the United Nations decide what to do next," he said, adding the Iraqi people should determine their own future.

"The postwar government should not be formed by the U.S. and its allies, it should be up to the Iraqi people," the Vice President said.

Meanwhile, antiwar protests continued across the country.

Thousands demonstrated in Jakarta and the Central Sulawesi capital of Palu, condemning the war.

A rally involving students from Bung Karno University in front of the United Nations office in Jakarta caused a traffic jam on Jl. MH Thamrin. Thousands of students from other universities and protesters from the Student Movement for (Iraq) Liberation marched from the State Palace in Central Jakarta to the Saudi Arabian Embassy on Jl. M.T. Haryono, East Jakarta to protest against Saudi Arabia allowing U.S. soldiers to be based there.

The protesters called on the U.S. and its allies to halt their aggression in Iraq.

Thousands of students from the Tadulako University in Palu and members of a Muslim women's organization protested against the human tragedy in Iraq.

"The U.S. and its allies including Britain, Australia and Israel are the axis of evil and true international terrorists," the protesters said in a statement.

The aggression in Iraq has sparked worldwide opposition and condemnation from numerous organizations at home, but the U.S. and its allies have ignored it.

The United Development Party of Reform said it plans to hold a demonstration on Wednesday.

"After the extraordinary congress of the United Development Party of Reform, cleric Zainuddin (MZ) will lead a rally along with all participants of the meeting," party deputy secretary- general Miqdad Husein, was quoted by the Antara news agency as saying.