An opposition party today called on the US to cease air strikes in Afghanistan and to resort to international legal co-operation to end terrorism.

DAP national chairperson Lim Kit Siang said the US should refrain from an invasion by ground troops and instead seek to end terrorism by bringing to justice the perpetrators of the Sept 11 terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington DC.

"Treating the heinous acts of Sept 11 as an act of war will only escalate the violence and loss of life," said Lim in a press statement today.

The US should heed international criticisms and opposition not only to its air strikes but also the accompanying air drop of 37,000 food packages from two planes, destined for starving Afghans," he added.

He said the Medicins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) had denounced the 'food bombs' as a "military propaganda operation" to hoodwink the world into accepting the strikes.

The US launched strikes into Afghanistan last Sunday in retaliation against the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon last month which the US claims is the responsibility of Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden.

A third wave of attacks against Afghanistan commenced today.

The Taliban, the ruling regime in Afghanistan which is harbouring Osama, has repeatedly claimed that he had nothing to do with the US attacks.

Osama, too, had denied responsibility.

Go back to UN

Meanwhile, PRM president Dr Syed Husin Ali said the attack on Afghanistan is in contravention of international law because it does not have the sanction of the United Nations.

"The US authorities must go back to the UN with the problem of Afghanistan and the long-standing problems of Palestine should be brought by the international community to the UN to be resolved peacefully," he said.

"We equally condemn the present actions of the US which are causing unnecessary sufferings and destruction in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, these actions smack of state terrorism taking revenge," he added.

Keadilan president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail implored the US-led coalition to critically address the root causes of modern-day terrorism.

"We believe the attacks will lead to untold sufferings of a vast majority of innocent Afghans," said Wan Azizah.

She urged the US to seek the support of the international community in combating terrorism.

She also said the Malaysian government should request the convening of the UN Security Council to discuss the matter and that it should also play a pro-active role at the special session of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) in Qatar tomorrow.