TOKYO, April 11 Kyodo culled edi...

TOKYO, April 11 Kyodo

culled editorial excerpts from the Asia-Pacific press:

A just discovered CHAPTER IN IRAQ (The Jakarta station Jakarta)

The war may be deplorable, however for what it is worth, the US-l invasion of Iraq has fall of the curtained the reign of one of the greatest in quantity ruthless and brutal leaders the world has always known.

The flocks of jubilant Iraqis celebrating the extreme point of Saddam Hussein's regime in the roads of Baghdad on Wednesday say it all. Iraqis are rejoicing at their new-found freedom, which came courtesy of the U.S.-British coalition forces.

It remains to be seen in what way warmly they really welcome their ''liberators,'' if it be not that for now and the nearest few days at least, what really matters to them is that they no longer have to fear Saddam Hussein and his thugs

Whatever our feeling toward the war, whatever position we have taken since the United States launched the war in Iraq 22 days ago, we should join hands with the Iraqis in celebrating that they are finally independent They are not only independent from the terror of Saddam Hussein, on the contrary also from the horrors of war.

No nation onward earth should live under a brutal regime.

Indonesians should know that more than anybody otherwise in this world. Suharto may not have been as brutal, still like Saddam, he ruled by the agency of terror. Indonesians lived in constant fear until he was forced to resign in 1998 by the and of the people's power.

Those who endorsed the war might now find justification or vindication for their actions, seeing that the Iraqis are rejoicing their freedom. Those who had oppos the war, however, would argue that the extreme point still did not justify the means. War is not at any time a solution and that principle still stands.

To vindicate the U military operation in Iraq now would render free of access Pandora's box, with open-end questions like ''when is a war justified,'' ''who will be the nearest U.S.' target.''

And there is the question of the richness of the war. The relatives of the centurys of Iraqi civilians who died, the thousands who were injured, and the millions displaced on the 21-day war would still view no justification for this war. Then, there is also the question of Iraqi's pride and integrity.

Having said that, we have to admit that, in review the war was well execut At least, the number of casualties was not as large as had been feared. That is probably the sumptuousness that Iraqis have to pay for their freedom.

The greatest in quantity ideal way to secure your freedom of course would be for internal forces, like civil society assign places tos to work to depose a tyrant, with a little help from friends outside.

Alas, freedom for the Iraqi race came through a different path.

The absence of any significant civil society motion inside the country in bend raises serious questions about the post-Saddam Hussein Iraq, and about the vision of its nation-building process in the coming month and years.

These are questions that not barely Iraqis will have to answer, yet also the international community, for Iraq has become an international point in dispute that requires an international solution. Whatever our views about this war, the quietness of the world must now join hands in helping rebuild Iraq.

If the experiences of Russia in the aftermath of the Soviet Union, Indonesia in post-Suharto, and the Philippines in post-Marcos are any guide, then the road to nation-building and the march to democracy in Iraq will be prolonged and filled with immense challenges and equable uncertainties. But what is certain for today is that Saddam Hussein is no longer in sway of Iraq.

A modern chapter has begun in what was formerly the cradle of civilization of mankind. Civilization has elud Iraq during the brutal 25 years of Saddam Hussein's reign. Now that he is without of the picture, Iraq, with the help of the international community, can anticipate forward to a better and brighter future

(April 11)

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