LAHORE, March 22: The US has invaded Iraq to fortify its position in the Middle East after losing fast its influence in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, says German foreign office official in-charge of Dialogue with Islam and Civilization Dr Gunther Muleck.

Other motives of the US invasion are to seize natural resources of the region, complete senior Bush’s mission of eliminating President Saddam as well as safeguarding Israeli interests. However, Washington would be unable to prolong its occupation of Baghdad, he said at a reception held by Awami Qiadat Party information secretary Muhammad Mahdi here late on Friday.

The invasion would also provide the US a chance to test its latest weapons, he said, pointing out that share value of the US ordnance factories had never plunged.

ARD president Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, special adviser to chief minister Mowahid Shah, Jamaat-i-Islami information secretary Amirul Azim and PML-N’s Zaeem Qadri were also present on the occasion.

The Nawabzada informed Mr Muleck of the Pakistani people’s emotion on Iraq crisis and the opposition’s stance on LFO and other national issues.

Mr Muleck was very disappointed over Arab reaction to the attack and termed it a shameful response. He held dictatorial governments in the region responsible for it.

“Lack of democracy (that emboldens people to speak out their mind) makes people afraid of their rulers and they would not take to the streets due to this fear even if there existed some genuine problem.”

He, however, made it clear that democracy itself did not bring any visible change in society unless it was augmented by the rule of law, good governance, education and fighting corruption.

“Had democracy in itself been a panacea to social ills, Venezuela would have been a corruption-free country which had been practising democracy for the last half a century.”

He told a questioner that the post-war situation would be better for the Iraqi people as after the elimination of a long-time dictator’s rule, an era of reconstruction and development would start like the one witnessed by Germans after World War-II.

About the divisions in European countries over the Iraq crisis and the EU role in this regard, he said the EU would have to redefine its charter and see to it that in future its decisions were taken with majority instead of unanimous vote. “If the system is not changed, the UK may block any move on various issues in future as well.”

Europe would also have to establish its own army limiting the role of NATO in any future conflict, he added.

Regretting the US decision of invasion of Iraq without UN backing, Mr Muleck said young Germans were turning against the US instead of confining their anger to the US administration. “It is an unfortunate development.”

About expulsion of the US from the UN, he said it might not be done for no such action had been taken even against the countries like Israel which were continuously violating UN resolutions.

However, a resolution against Washington is most likely to be presented in the next session of UN General Assembly,” he added.