http://sg.news.yahoo.com/011010/1/1k3ml.html
Wednesday October 10, 4:49 PM
International street protest swells
against US air attacks
PARIS, Oct 10 (AFP) -
Arab foreign ministers voiced support for the anti-terrorism fight
while giving only a muted response to attacks on Afghanistan
Wednesday, as Osama bin Laden's network urged all Muslims to
join in a holy war against the United States.
Meanwhile street protests swelled around the world against the
air campaign.
Demonstrators in Manila assailed the Philippine government for
supporting the US-led assault, as officials prepared for possible
fallout from local supporters of Muslim militants.
In Khartoum, Sudanese Islamic scholars and mujahedin
demonstrators voiced support for bin Laden before police fired
tear gas to disperse them.
In Jakarta, Indonesians staged protests for a third day at the
tightly-guarded US embassy as police stepped up security.
In Athens, some 4,000 Greek anti-war protesters marched
against what organizers called an "imperialist war," "Americans,
murderers of peoples."
In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's Islamic opposition party declared a
jihad or holy war over the US-led attacks and gave the go-ahead
for its members to join the fight.
In Brisbane, Australia, police arrested six people at an anti-war
demonstration outside the recruiting centre of Australia's defence
department.
In Berlin, pacifists delivered a 20,000-signature petition to the
foreign ministry calling on the German government to avoid
getting involved in the military action in Afghanistan.
In Washington, the US said it was generally pleased with the
response of the Muslim world to airstrikes, but admitted that not
everyone was getting the message that Islam is not the target.
But in Doha, a meeting of Arab foreign ministers, while voicing
support for the international fight against terrorism, gave a muted
response to the military attacks.
"We are all against international terrorism and we will not tolerate
this phenomenon being linked to Islam," Arab League secretary
general Amr Moussa said.
Asked about the League's response to the military strikes on
Afghanistan, he said they "should be limited to what they (the
Americans) consider to be military bases" and should spare
civilians.
Meanwhile bin Laden aide Suleiman Abu Ghaith called on
Muslims to join in a jihad, or holy war, against the US, saying
Washington deserved to be hit until it ended a "blockade" on Iraq
and halted its support for Israel.
"From today onwards, the Islamic nation will not keep silent.
Jihad today is a duty of every Muslim," the spokesman for bin
Laden's al-Qaeda terror network said in a message broadcast by
Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television.
In Tokyo, it was reported that the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperationwould adopt a joint statement against international
terrorism.
The statement would be released during the October 20-21
APEC summit in Shanghai, which draws world leaders including
US President George W. Bush, Russian President Vladimir Putin
and Chinese President Jiang Zemin, Jiji Press said.
In Khartoum, hundreds of protestors marched through the streets
of the Sudanese capital and gathered in front of the presidential
palace where their leaders made fiery speeches condemning the
war on Afghanistan as one against Islam.
The mujahedin -- Muslim holy fighters engaged in Khartoum's
civil war with mainly southern rebels -- sported pictures on their
chests of bin Laden and chanted: "Long live bin Laden."
In Manila, leftist and Muslim groups denounced Filipino President
Gloria Arroyo for supporting the US strikes. Leftist protesters
staged a rally in front of the US embassy, carrying banners saying
"No to US-led war" and "Justice not war."
An effigy of Uncle Sam holding a missile to the head of a child
was also displayed.
In Kuala Lumpur, Nasaruddin Isa, secretary-general of
Malaysia's Islamic party PAS, said PAS had agreed on a jihad
and its targets were the enemies of Islam.
But he added that PAS's definition of jihad covered a "wide
spectrum including calling for peace, calling for justice and not
just taking up arms."
"Until today, there is no proof, or evidence to relate Osama bin
Laden to the September 11 tragedy" in which New York and
Washington were attacked, Nasaruddin said.
In Jakarta student demonstrators carried placards reading: "Save
Afghanistan," "Save the world from Global Terrorism" and "Drag
Bush to an international tribunal."
The students demanded that President Megawati Sukarnoputri's
government cut diplomatic ties with the United States and its
allies.
In Bangkok hundreds of Thai Muslims protested outside the US
embassy, calling for an end to US-led attacks on Afghanistan and
solidarity among Muslims to reject the strikes.
About 200 members of the Thai Muslim Peace Group carried
banners denouncing US President George W. Bush, saying,
"Bush, you know all Muslims are brothers!" and "Bush - Big
Satan."