U.S. again told to halt strikes

U.S. again told to halt strikes

PALU, Central Sulawesi: Former minister of foreign affairs Alwi Shihab has urged U.S. President George W. Bush to put an immediate end to U.S.-led military strikes on Afghanistan and instead use diplomatic approaches to deal with the conflict.

"Making use of the United Nations' mediation to resolve the conflict through diplomacy with the Taliban government would be more useful," Shihab said on Saturday.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri and other Indonesian leaders have repeatedly made similar calls for the U.S. to halt its heavy bombardment of Afghanistan before Ramadhan, but the U.S. on Saturday defied the appeal.

Shihab, currently chairman of former president Abdurrahman Wahid's National Awakening Party (PKB), said the U.S. should respect Ramadhan by not waging war with the Islamic state.

"Based on the sunnah (Islamic tradition) of Prophet Muhammad, Ramadhan should be welcomed with full happiness. Therefore, America and its allies have to respect them (Muslims) and should not make them sad in welcoming the glory month," he said. -- Antara