United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has told a summit of developing nations that a US-led war in Iraq is still avoidable.
In remarks to the 116-nation Non-Aligned Movement conference in Malaysia, Mr. Annan warned that any military action against Baghdad will lack legitimacy if it is not sanctioned by the United Nations. His remarks were in a speech that was read on his behalf to more than 50 heads of state, diplomats and other government leaders gathered for the two-day summit in Kuala Lumpur.
Before the meeting ends Tuesday, the group is expected to adopt a resolution opposing war without UN support and urging Baghdad to actively comply with U-N demands to disarm.
As the Kuala Lumpur summit opened Monday, its new chairman, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, criticized the United States for threatening war against Iraq. Mr. Mahathir also accused Western powers of using their campaign against terrorism to dominate the world. He said war should be made illegal and that the United Nations should enforce the policy with what he called multilateral forces.