HOW THE MUSLIM WORLD HAS REACTED TO THE ATTACKS ON AFGHANISTAN

CAIRO, Oct 8 (AFP) - Governments of Muslim states ignored calls by Osama bin Laden and the Taliban for a holy war against the United States, while expressing concern Monday about the consequences of the US attacks on Afghanistan.

Iran and Iraq were among the few to openly condemn the overnight military operation, while most other states stressed that the strikes should not harm civilians.

The offensive which the Taliban militia described as a "terrorist attack on the whole Muslim world" sparked angry reactions from Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, whose country has also been the target of frequent US and British raids since his invasion of Kuwait in 1990.

"The true believers cannot but condemn this act, not because it has been committed by America against a Muslim people but because it is an aggression perpetrated outside international law," Saddam said in a statement.

"America could have further recourse to force, which could last some time ... and spread to other countries as part of the settling of accounts sought by the United States," he added, echoing widespread Arab fears that the operation against the Taliban and Osama bin Laden could lead to a wider regional confrontation.

Afghanistan's neighbour Iran was also prompt to condemn the strikes, with Foreign ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi describing them as "unacceptable", saying "they were launched regardless of world public opinion, especially the Muslim nations."

For his part, the Islamic republic's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Washington of "lying when it propagates the aim of its attacks against Afghanistan to be a struggle against terrorism."

Malaysia was one of few other Muslim countries to openly criticise the strikes. "War will only victimise the innocent. Terrorists themselves might escape," Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said, adding that his country would not support Washington's "Enduring Freedom" operation.

Tempered only by repeated calls to spare civilian lives, most countries however voiced cautious support for the US-led attacks, indicating that Washington's international coalition to fight terrorism was holding.

Indonesia, the most populous Muslim country on the globe, expressed "its deep concern" Monday, with Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda urging the US and British forces to "minimise the number of innocent victims."

Morocco's King Mohamed VI expressed his "wish for the operation in progress to be wise and measured," while in Turkey, where President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said: "We hope the United States acts wisely and that innocent people are spared."

Muslim countries in the Middle East reacted along the same lines, stressing however that Washington's fight against terrorism should include the search for a settlement to the Palestinian issue.

Jordan expressed its support for the US action and called for Afghan civilians to be spared, but emphasised that the "fight against terrorism must not be confined to the military aspect but extend to the principal causes of deception in the region, that is to say a just settlement of the Palestinian question on the basis of international law."

In Cairo, an adviser for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Osama al-Baz, also expressed concern for the Afghan people but underlined Washington's "right to retaliate if it has conclusive evidence" against bin Laden.

However Lebanese Information Minister Ghazi Aridi accused Washington of mounting "its action deliberately 48 hours before the ministerial meeting of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference and a meeting of the Arab League to give a fait accompli to Arab and Muslim states."

And Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud called for "an international initiative to define the meaning of the word 'terrorism' and analyse its causes, and in particular the holding of an international conference to this end."

He repeated Lebanon's official position, that "one must distinguish between terrorism and the right of peoples to fight foreign occupation," in a reference to Israel's continued grip on land claimed by Beirut and the Palestinian territories.

For his part, Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa called for restraint and warned against a widening of the conflict, while the Palestinians reacted cautiously after the strikes started Sunday, seeking a joint Muslim stance to be adopted on the issue during Wednesday's OIC meeting.

Bahrain's Prime Minister Khalifa en Salman al-Khalifa was the only leader in the Gulf region to make a statement following the attacks against Afghanistan.

He also expressed his support for the war against terrorism and his concern that a "brotherly Muslim people" should not suffer in the process.

In Europe Bosnia's top officials voiced support for the US-led military action in Afghanistan, but said it feared a possible widespread humanitarian crisis in the country.

For his part Albanian Prime Minister Ilir Meta expressed his full support for the US action and said Albania was offering its assistance, including the use of air and port facilities.

But hardline groups from Jordan and the Palestinian territories to Indonesia reacted angrily to the strikes and demonstrations were held in a number of places.

In Gaza City two Palestinians were shot dead when fighting broke out between demonstrators and police.

This article is from The Revival's first website, where its publication date was not recorded. The date shown above is approximate.