WASHINGTON, March 3: The United States understands that Pakistan faces a “very complicated equation” on Iraq and wants to resolve this conflict quickly to the benefit of Pakistan and other nations interested in the region, says Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage.

Talking to Dawn over the weekend, Mr Armitage said “the spectrum of war in the Middle East” had a number of repercussions, ranging “from petroleum to the possible dislocation of workers and loss of their earning.” The US official said resentment against the war in Iraq did not mean that President Saddam Hussein was popular in Pakistan or other Muslims countries.

“Saddam Hussein does not appear to be very popular, but I think there is some resentment over the US position in the world, with the strength that we have,” said Mr Armitage while commenting on the anti-war demonstrations in Pakistan and other places.

Asked how he proposed to deal with this resentment, Mr Armitage said that if the United States decided to go to war, he believed “things will be handled well and quickly and we can get about the business of bringing much more peace and stability, and I might act, predictability to the whole Gulf region.”

This, he said, would not only “benefit Pakistan but also every other nation interested in the Gulf.” Talking about the US effort to win the support of the UN Security Council for its position on Iraq, Mr Armitage said the President believed that the UN resolution on the question of Iraq, one way or the other, will have a positive effect on the process of peace.

He said of the 15 members of the Security Council, most had friendly relations with the US, relations “that go past and beyond Iraq, and we are going to have relations with them after the vote as well.”

Mr Armitage said it was not right to say that even on the issue of Iraq, the US had given an ultimatum to the international community, saying “either you are with us or against us.”