The United States has deflected the global war on terrorism a year after the Sept 11 attacks by unilaterally declaring its intention to strike Iraq in recent weeks, said an Australian political analyst yesterday.

Dr Alan Smith said he was not suggesting that the US should not invoke military response after it was attacked by terrorists, but that there must be a slow and cautious response in waging war against a country.

"When your house gets attacked, nobody thinks you should sit idle and not do anything about it. But you don't run down the street and beat another person who you suspect might be the attacker."

He was speaking at a public forum called 'Sept 11 and political freedom' at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall in Kuala Lumpur last night.

The event, organised by Strategic Information Research Development and Malaysiakini.com, was held in conjunction with the launch on Wednesday of an eponymous book co-edited by Smith ( left ), Singapore political writer James Gomez ( right ), and Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) regional director Uwe Johannen.