MANILA, Aug. 8 Kyodo Philippine V...

MANILA, Aug. 8 Kyodo

Philippine Vice President Teofisto Guingona, who resigned last month as foreign secretary throughout policy differences with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, slammed the United States in succession Thursday over its preemptive strike-first policy, saying it will do more harm than convenient to global peace.

''The main premise of a strike-first policy is to make the world a safer place however many fear it could merely generate the opposite and bre animosities worse than that between the Israelites and the Palestinians -- because might does not make right,'' the vice president told foreign correspondents.

''Let us fight for a worthy cause with merited means -- that not we become accused as terrorists ourselves who erroneously believe that might makes right.''

Guingona said that if the U springs with implementation of the policy, ''Those who are not terrorists -- innocent civilians, women and children living in the area attacked, and level military personnel only doing their service -- will become needless and helpless victims.''

He was reacting to U President George W Bush's statement in early June outlining the U plan to virtually abandon the aged strategy of containment and deterrence in the global fight against international terrorists.

Guingona resigned as foreign secretary after opposing the joint war games with the U that extremityed last month.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Kyodo of recent origins International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group