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US must not act in defiance of world opinion

Press Statement
by John Chung

(Petaling Jaya, Saturday): DAPSY reiterates our objection to the continued unilateral insistence by the US administration to launch a war on Iraq. The aggressive US stance is clearly in defiance of the opinion of the world community who had been advocating a peaceful and non-military solution. 

The announcement by US President George W. Bush that the US will strike Iraq with or without UN approval clearly reveals his arrogance and shows his contempt for international law and the overwhelming pleas by the international community for a peaceful resolution.

 

It is obvious that Bush has only the interest of his country in mind instead of the collective global interest when he asserted, “When it comes to our security, we really don’t need anybody’s permission.”

 

Bush must realize that the security of the world far outweighs the security of the US as any war on Iraq, especially without the mandate of the UN Security Council, risks destabilizing the world apart from its serious repercussion on the global economy.

 

It is still not too late for Bush to give peace a chance by withholding from pressing the button on military action in order to avert a potentially catastrophic war which could result in untold suffering to countless innocent Iraqis.

 

DAPSY reiterates that the US must allow more time to the UN arms inspectors to finish its job of ensuring that all weapons of mass destruction including the Al-Samoud 2 missiles in Iraq’s possession be summarily destroyed.

 

The description by UN chief weapons inspector Hans Blix of Iraq’s move to begin destroying its Al-Samoud 2 missiles as “a substantial measure of disarmament” is certainly encouraging. 

 

The world community, besides calling for restrain on the part of the US, must also step up the pressure on the Iraqi government to ensure speedy and full disarmament of all its weapons in compliance with the UN Security Council Resolution 1411.   

(8/3/2003)

* John Chung, DAPSY International Secretary