US urged not to attack Iraq

UN SECRETARY-GENERAL Kofi Annan urged the United States to resist attacking Iraq, joining calls from leaders in Germany, China, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain yesterday for restraint in considering military action to topple Saddam Hussein.

The stepped-up opposition to a military strike against Iraq came after US Vice President Dick Cheney on Monday warned that the United States could face devastating consequences from any delay in acting to remove Iraq's government, which Washington accuses of trying to rebuild its banned weapons programs.

And on Tuesday, US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld declared that the international community would back an eventual US attack on Iraq. "When our country does make the right judgments, the right decisions, then other countries do co-operate and participate," he said. Mr Annan said he favoured ongoing dialogue with Saddam's government and that if Washington decides to attack Iraq it would not reflect UN policy.

"The UN is not agitating for military action" against Iraq, Mr Annan told a news conference after talks with Botswana's President Festus Mogae.

In Germany, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer yesterday renewed their criticism of plans to use military force against Saddam. Schroeder insisted that Germany wouldn't take part in an attack "at least not under my leadership." In China, Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri met with Vice Premier Qian Qichen yesterday in an effort to drum up support for Baghdad from a traditional ally. Mr Qian reportedly said he opposed US military action against Iraq. In the meeting, Mr Qian repeated China's demand that Iraq implement UN Security Council resolutions calling for the return of UN arms inspectors, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. Saudi Arabia, a key US ally in the region, yesterday repeated its opposition to a military attack on Iraq, saying Washington should insist on a return of weapons inspectors. In an interview with the British Broadcasting Corp, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said: "Attacking the Iraqi people will force them into backing their government."

Bahrain's king, Sheik Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, reiterated his country's opposition to US military action against Iraq.

With key allies balking at a possible US attack on Iraq, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage stumped for support in Japan yesterday and indicated Washington was just getting started on building a coalition against Baghdad.

In Britain, Prime Minister Tony Blair and other officials have repeatedly said it was too early to make a decision about whether to participate in such an attack. Yesterday, a spokesman for Mr Blair said on condition of anonymity that Britain has "100% agreed with the US that you have to deal with the issue of weapons of mass destruction."