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| Sunday, 11 August 2002 |
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Indonesia Muslim body opposes U.S. war with Iraq JAKARTA, Aug 10 (Reuters) - One of Indonesia's leading Muslim organisations has warned the United States not to launch an attack on Iraq saying it had no moral grounds to do so, the Jakarta Post reported on Saturday. The U.S. is debating an attack on Iraq to topple the regime of President Saddam Hussein, seen as a threat over efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction. "I don't see that the planned attack will be a popular move for the country because the U.S. doesn't have the moral ground to attack other countries, even if they are accused of terrorism," the Post quoted Muhammadiyah Chairman Syafii Maarif as saying. Last year, the 30-million strong moderate Muhammadiyah group was among those who strongly condemned the U.S.-led military strikes on Afghanistan in response to the September 11 attacks on the United States. Indonesia had almost daily anti-American protests after the strikes began, with radical Muslim elements calling for a holy way. Indonesia's foreign ministry has also raised concerns over a possible attack against Iraq saying it would only support a peaceful resolution. "Our common position remains that we want a peaceful resolution to any conflict situation, including the current developing situation in Iraq," foreign ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa was quoted as saying. "It is the common stance of Indonesia that we support dialogue or resolution through the United Nations Security Council and that we should not confuse the issue as a religious one," he added. A White House official said on Friday that U.S. President George W. Bush had no timetable for deciding whether to take military action against Iraq. Around 85 percent of Indonesia's 210 million people are Muslim, the majority of them moderates. |
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