Washington: Iraq on March 18 rejected US President Bush's 48-hour ultimatum to
Saddam Hussein to leave the country or face military conflict while France and China
felt that the "unilateral decision" was contrary to the will of UN Security Council
and favoured continuation of efforts for peaceful settlement.
However, Bush got support from his close allies, including Japan and Australia while
Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim populated nation said any step taken without
the consent of the UN Security Council will have no legality.
There was no immediate reaction from the Arab world but one Arab League Ambassador
quoted by CNN said, "It is a very grave day. This is the day that international law
has been shovelled away. War will not solve this problem. Unfortunately those who
are going to war will find it very difficult to get out of it."
Iraq's Ambassador to UN Mahmood al-Douri said that US would be committing "a grave
mistake" by using force to oust Saddam Hussein from power.
"This will destabilise not only the region but other parts of the world. So, I think
this would be a mistake, a grave mistake on the part of the American administration
to launch this war against my country."
French President Jacques Chirac, in a statement in Paris, said, "This unilateral
decision is contrary to the wishes of the Security Council and the international
community which wants to pursue disarmament.
"Only the Security Council can legitimise the use of force," Chirac said warning
that to forego "the legitimacy of the UN, to privilege force over law is to take a
heavy responsibility."
PTI
