September 15, 2002	Sunday	Rajab 7, 1423

LOS ANGELES, Sept 14: Several US Muslim groups on Thursday, soon after President George Bush’s address at the United Nations, expressed their dismay against any unilateral action against Iraq, and said that weapons of mass destruction must be dealt with on a regional basis.

“Nuclear, chemical and biological weapons constitute a serious threat to humanity. The possible use of such weapons by Iraq is of great concern to the Americans and to the people of the Middle East. This important issue should be dealt with through the United Nations Security Council rather than an unilateral action by the United States,” a statement by the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said.

It said any American attack on Iraq would certainly lead to loss of innocent lives and destabilize an already unstable region.

It said it would also harm the objectives of ‘war on terrorism’ and set a dangerous precedent for unilateral intervention in the affairs of other nations.

An invasion of Iraq, without a UN Security Council resolution authorizing military action, will fuel anti-American sentiments, said Kamal Abu Shamiliah of Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC).

“We agree with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan who said that he is opposed to unilateral American action against Iraq,” said CAIR’s Director Communication, Ibrahim Hooper.