(Petaling
Jaya, Sunday): Bernama today reported
that the United States ambassador to Malaysia, Marie T. Huhtala told the Asian
Global Leadership Conference that
the US raid on Iraq two days ago was not the start of a war but a routine
attack.
Huhtala said no one should
jump to conclusion that the much-anticipated attack on Iraq had started as the
raid was only at the "no-fly zone".
She said: "All of us are concerned with reports that the attack has begun.
But based on checks with US-based news reports and the information I have
gathered, it was rather different from what we heard today."
Huhtala said it was not
true that 100 aircraft took part in the raid on a major Iraqi air defence
installation and the number was actually 12, comprising four each from the US
Air Force and Navy carrier and another four from Britain.
Even if Huhtala is right about her information, the fact is that the world is on
tenterhooks because of a belligerent Bush administration bent on unilateral
military action to topple Saddam Hussein.
Bush will be making two
important speeches on Saddam Hussein and Iraq
in the next few days – the September 11 address to the nation on the
anniversary of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks and his speech to the
United Nations General Assembly the following day.
The Malaysian
Parliament should adopt an all-party unanimous motion when it reconvenes
tomorrow to send a clear and united message to Bush before his Sept. 11
and 12 speeches that Malaysians are opposed to any unilateral US military action
against Iraq which would be contrary to international law
and to insist that any
military action against Baghdad must be decided at the United Nations if Saddam
Hussein continues to refuse to
allow weapons inspectors to return to Iraq.
(8/8/2002)