Wednesday October 10, 4:49 PM

International street protest swells against US air attacks

PARIS, Oct 10 (AFP) -

Arab foreign ministers voiced support for the anti-terrorism fight while giving only a muted response to attacks on Afghanistan Wednesday, as Osama bin Laden's network urged all Muslims to join in a holy war against the United States.

Meanwhile street protests swelled around the world against the air campaign.

Demonstrators in Manila assailed the Philippine government for supporting the US-led assault, as officials prepared for possible fallout from local supporters of Muslim militants.

In Khartoum, Sudanese Islamic scholars and mujahedin demonstrators voiced support for bin Laden before police fired tear gas to disperse them.

In Jakarta, Indonesians staged protests for a third day at the tightly-guarded US embassy as police stepped up security.

In Athens, some 4,000 Greek anti-war protesters marched against what organizers called an "imperialist war," "Americans, murderers of peoples."

In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's Islamic opposition party declared a jihad or holy war over the US-led attacks and gave the go-ahead for its members to join the fight.

In Brisbane, Australia, police arrested six people at an anti-war demonstration outside the recruiting centre of Australia's defence department.

In Berlin, pacifists delivered a 20,000-signature petition to the foreign ministry calling on the German government to avoid getting involved in the military action in Afghanistan.

In Washington, the US said it was generally pleased with the response of the Muslim world to airstrikes, but admitted that not everyone was getting the message that Islam is not the target.

But in Doha, a meeting of Arab foreign ministers, while voicing support for the international fight against terrorism, gave a muted response to the military attacks.

"We are all against international terrorism and we will not tolerate this phenomenon being linked to Islam," Arab League secretary general Amr Moussa said.

Asked about the League's response to the military strikes on Afghanistan, he said they "should be limited to what they (the Americans) consider to be military bases" and should spare civilians.

Meanwhile bin Laden aide Suleiman Abu Ghaith called on Muslims to join in a jihad, or holy war, against the US, saying Washington deserved to be hit until it ended a "blockade" on Iraq and halted its support for Israel.

"From today onwards, the Islamic nation will not keep silent. Jihad today is a duty of every Muslim," the spokesman for bin Laden's al-Qaeda terror network said in a message broadcast by Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television.

In Tokyo, it was reported that the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperationwould adopt a joint statement against international terrorism.

The statement would be released during the October 20-21 APEC summit in Shanghai, which draws world leaders including US President George W. Bush, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Jiang Zemin, Jiji Press said.

In Khartoum, hundreds of protestors marched through the streets of the Sudanese capital and gathered in front of the presidential palace where their leaders made fiery speeches condemning the war on Afghanistan as one against Islam.

The mujahedin -- Muslim holy fighters engaged in Khartoum's civil war with mainly southern rebels -- sported pictures on their chests of bin Laden and chanted: "Long live bin Laden."

In Manila, leftist and Muslim groups denounced Filipino President Gloria Arroyo for supporting the US strikes. Leftist protesters staged a rally in front of the US embassy, carrying banners saying "No to US-led war" and "Justice not war."

An effigy of Uncle Sam holding a missile to the head of a child was also displayed.

In Kuala Lumpur, Nasaruddin Isa, secretary-general of Malaysia's Islamic party PAS, said PAS had agreed on a jihad and its targets were the enemies of Islam.

But he added that PAS's definition of jihad covered a "wide spectrum including calling for peace, calling for justice and not just taking up arms."

"Until today, there is no proof, or evidence to relate Osama bin Laden to the September 11 tragedy" in which New York and Washington were attacked, Nasaruddin said.

In Jakarta student demonstrators carried placards reading: "Save Afghanistan," "Save the world from Global Terrorism" and "Drag Bush to an international tribunal."

The students demanded that President Megawati Sukarnoputri's government cut diplomatic ties with the United States and its allies.

In Bangkok hundreds of Thai Muslims protested outside the US embassy, calling for an end to US-led attacks on Afghanistan and solidarity among Muslims to reject the strikes.

About 200 members of the Thai Muslim Peace Group carried banners denouncing US President George W. Bush, saying, "Bush, you know all Muslims are brothers!" and "Bush - Big Satan."

-- Anonymous, October 10, 2001