"The US-British war against Iraq is a condemnable act of aggression that goes against the international legitimacy," Shareh said in an interview with Xinhua.

"Such a violation of the international legitimacy is a serious threat to the credibility of the United Nations, and rather deals a fatal blow to the international body," said the minister, who was here for a meeting of Arab foreign ministers.

"It is imperative to immediately put an end to hostilities, and return to the course of settling the Iraqi issue through the UN Security Council, the only authority in disputes," he said.

Despite mounting international opposition, the United States launched its war against Iraq at 0530 a.m. (0230 GMT) last Thursday, in a bid to try to topple Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

The offensives, the first preemptive strikes in the US history, kicked off about 90 minutes after the expiration of an ultimatum issued by US President George W. Bush for Saddam to leave the country or face war.

The United States has accused Iraq of hiding and secretly developing banned weapons as well as having linkage with the al-Qaeda terror network. Iraq strongly denies the US allegation.

"The war aims to control potentials of the Arab nation, and will turn the region into a hotbed of violence and unrest that, thus affecting other regions in the world," Shareh said to Xinhua.

As for an Arab stance on the war, he said, "the Arabs have no choice but to support Iraq in the face of aggression."

"We will work to exert pressure on the United States and Britain to stop the war," he said.

Commenting on the killing of some Syrians in a US missile attack on their bus when they were on their way home from Iraq, Shareh said his country denounces the act which constitutes a violation of the Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians at times of war.

"The Syrian government summoned the US and British ambassadors in Damascus to protest against the act and remind them of its right to claim compensations as well as the seriousness of targeting civilians," he said.

On Sunday, five Syrians were killed and 10 others injured as a US warplane launched a missile on a vehicle which carried 37 Syrians fleeing the war-torn Gulf country.

(Xinhua News Agency March 25, 2003)