Hamzah reiterates strong criticism against Bush

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.