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Fresh waves of anti-war demonstrations swept the world on Sunday against US-led military attacks on Iraq, and protesters reaffirmed calls for an immediately end to the war.
In Italy, anti-war demonstrations erupted again in 22 cities of the country's 18 provinces and protesters urged the United States to stop its military action immediately. Most of the protest rallies took place near the US military base in Aviano and Italy's military bases which provide logistic support for US troops.
In Turkey's largest city of Istanbul, hundreds of protesters, shouting anti-war slogans, marched on the US consulate and planned to place a black wreath in front of the compound in protest at the war. On their way to the consulate, protesters clashed with police who used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators and made a number of arrests.
In Afghanistan's province of Laghman, 100 kilometers east of the capital Kabul, at least 3,000 people demonstrated in front of the provincial administration and burned national flags of the United States, Britain and Japan in protest at the US-led military strikes against Iraq and the Afghan interim government's support for the US-British military action.
Around 60,000 people poured onto streets of Fuse, Marrakech and Nador in Morocco, holding placards and banners reading "No war, no aggression, no killing," during demonstrations against the war. Denouncing the US-led military action launched without UN authorization, they urged the UN Security Council and the international community to take immediate action to stop the war.
In Bulgaria's capital Sofia, thousands of people also staged anti-war protests. Holding the Iraqi national flag and banners reading "Bulgaria needs peace", they shouted slogans against the war: "Don not allow the US to use our bases!" and "Do not kill Iraqi children!"
A public opinion published Sunday by Finland's influential newspaper Helsingin Sanomat said a majority of Finns are opposed to the US-led assault on Iraq. Seventy-six percent of those queried, aged between 15 and 74, saw no justification for the US-led military action against Iraq, and 81 percent of those who said no to the war were women.
The Islamic Educational Scientific And Cultural Organization (ISESCO) issued a statement Sunday, saying the war initiated by the United States violated international laws and the UN Charter. The war has not only brought great sufferings to the innocent Iraqi people, but also wreaked havoc on Iraq's rich historical, cultural and religious heritage.
The Sudan's ruling National Congress Party issued a statement in Khartoum on Sunday, accusing the United States and Britain of violating international laws and norms governing international relations and bringing catastrophe to the world.
Jordan's college student union on Sunday launched a blood-donation campaign to help the Iraqis injured during US-British bombings. Jordan's one-million-strong trade union confederation called on its members to each donate one dinar (US$1.4) to be used to buy food and medicines for the Iraqi people.
Romanian officials on Sunday said their country is ready to accept and provide accommodation for 1,500 Iraqi refugees.
New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said Monday that she was not convinced coalition forces were making quick progress in Iraq. But she hoped the war could end quickly for the sake of Iraqi civilians.
(Xinhua News Agency March 24, 2003)
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