Iraqi War Alarms Kyrgyzstan with U.N. Bypassing Precedent

Kyrgyzstan is badly alarmed by the current attempt to settle the Iraqi crisis through the use of force, the Kyrgyz Ministry of Foreign Affairs says in a statement.

"We have ample reasons to discern tokens of a new world order," remarked Askar Aitmatov, Minister of Foreign Affairs. The UN Security Council may eventually become irrelevant in decision-making on the use of force now that a precedent has been set. The situation threatens the whole world with dire developments, warned the minister.

Kyrgyzstan has always been speaking for the Iraqi problem to be settled by political means. Now it hopes there will be no civilian victims, and weapons of mass destruction will not be used. "We hope the international community will prevent a regional humanitarian crisis," Mr. Aitmatov emphatically added.

The Kyrgyz government is gathering for an emergency session tonight. The agenda includes prospects to shelter refugees, and safety measures for Kyrgyz nationals currently in Iraq-neighbouring countries.