The world reacts to the bombing of Baghdad

[mr mahs]

Governments, opposition parties and war protesters from around the world today registered their reaction to the start of military action against Iraq. Many countries voiced concern as the United States-led coalition launched cruise missiles at Baghdad, with veto-wielding members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council among the most vociferous dissenters

France

France, which with Germany and Russia, vowed to oppose any UN resolution authorising the use of force to disarm Iraq, noted the outbreak of hostilities with "deep concern", said Francois Rivasseau, a foreign ministry spokesman.

France, which with Russia, China, the United States and the UK holds the right of veto at the Security Council, "hopes that the conflict which has just begun can be ended as soon as possible", he added in the statement.

China

China demanded today that military action against Iraq should stop immediately and asserted that the initial attack by the United States was "violating the norms of international behaviour".

Kong Quan, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, said the beginning of the attack on Iraq by the US-led military force took place "in disregard for the oppposition of the international community".

Mr Kong said China continues to maintain that "the Iraq question can be solved peacefully".

Russia

President Vladimir Putin kept his silence today after Moscow's attempts to prevent the war through diplomacy. The Kremlin said in a terse statement that Mr Putin was being constantly informed of the situation but gave no initial reaction to the first strikes on the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.

Meanwhile, a host of lawmakers voiced outrage at the attacks. The Duma, Russia's parliament, was expected to vote on a resolution calling for the UN General Assembly to hold an emergency session on Iraq later today.

Mikhail Gorbachev, the former Soviet president who gave his tacit approval to the first Gulf War in 1991, angrily told the Interfax news agency that Washington was behaving in world affairs "as if it owns the place".

Germany

Germany, which has been one of the most vocal European opponents of a war, called for the fighting to be over quickly.

"Now everything must be done to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe among the Iraqi people," the Government said in a statement, as security was boosted around US and British embassies and at Frankfurt and Berlin airports.

Italy

Franco Frattini, Foreign Minister, said today that disarming Saddam Hussein had become "a tragic necessity" for the international community.

Despite adverse public opinion, Italy has been a staunch supporter of Washington's hardline stance on Iraq. The Italian parliament voted yesterday to open its airspace to United States warplanes, but forbid their use of airbases to launch direct attacks on Iraq.

Spain

Jose Maria Aznar, the Prime Minister, is one of Washington's staunchest allies in its standoff with Saddam Hussein.

However, Spain's opposition parties denounced military action and heavily criticized the Prime Minister, while opinion polls show a vast majority of Spaniards opposed to war in Iraq even with UN backing.

The Netherlands

Jan Peter Balkenende, the Prime Minister, said today that his country, which has a large and spirited anti-war movement, could not commit combat troops but “gives political support to the action launched against Saddam Hussein”.

“Freedom and safety for all, including the inhabitants of Iraq, is the highest goal,” he said.

Vatican

Pope John Paul II devoted his daily mass to peace and the Iraqi people today after being informed of the start of the military campaign against Baghdad, his aides said.

The Vatican has not issued a formal reaction to the air attacks on the Iraqi capital.

The Pope also dispatched Cardinal Pio Laghi, a former Vatican representative to the United Nations and a personal friend of President Georghe W Bush, to Washington where he attempted in vain to persuade the US leader not to unleash an attack on Iraq.

Iran

Iran, which was at war with Iraq during the 1980s and which President Bush said was part of the "axis of evil", called the attacks on Iraq "unjustifiable and illegitimate".

"The continued disregard for public wisdom by the United States will completely ruin the valuable achievements by governments and nations over half-a-century to consolidate cooperation for peace," Kamal Kharrazi, Foreign Minister, said.

Japan

Junichiro Koizumi, the Prime Minister, said today he supported the US-led campaign to disarm Iraq by force and promised his country would contribute to postwar reconstruction.

"Iraq has continued to ignore the United Nations resolutions and has not acted sincerely," Mr Koizumi said. "Therefore, I understand and support US action to disarm Iraq."

Mr Koizumi's conservative administration has stood by the United States throughout the Iraq crisis.

Australia

John Howard, the Prime Minister, insisted today that joining the Iraq war has not increased the risk of an attack by Islamic radicals, but officials are taking no chances.

As thousands of anti-war protesters gathered in Sydney and Melbourne, police took up positions in the streets and at landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House. Armed police were also deployed for the first time around the Parliament in Canberra and there was an increased presence at US diplomatic missions.

Indonesia

President Megawati Sukarnoputri said in a rare radio address that “Indonesia is of the opinion that the use of military action against Iraq is an act of aggression which is against international law".

Malaysia

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Malaysia's acting Prime Minister, said today in a live television broadcast that military action against Iraq was against international law.

“It is in contravention of international law, upon which the security and stability of the world is based”, he said.

“The consequences of this war will not only have devastating

implications on Iraq and the Middle East, but will ultimately impact upon the entire world."

South Korea

President Roh Moo-hyun told his country today the US-led war on Iraq had been inevitable and he would do his utmost to ensure the conflict did not heighten tension with North Korea.

Mr Roh said that Seoul continued to support Washington in a televised address to his country and vowed to work to minimise the impact of the war on the South Korean economy.

[djxeno]

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