If the United States and its allies can obtain the United Nations backing to wage a war against Iraq, then Malaysians have to respect it, said the Bar Council today.

The council's chairperson Mah Weng Kwai however said military involvement should be the last resort and be carried out with the UN Security Council's approval.

"But it would still be difficult to ask people not to oppose the war because they feel strongly about it," he said.

He added that the council's view was different from that of the government which opposes any war o­n Iraq, with or without reasoned multilateral agreement.

"We respect the rule of the law. And therefore a war must not be conducted without having exhausted all the options according to international laws," he told a press conference at the council's secretariat in Kuala Lumpur.

Foreboding fear

Earlier, Mah and four representatives from the council submitted a memorandum to US ambassador Marie T Huhtala at her office in Kuala Lumpur.

Mah said he told the ambassador that the US should not make a unilateral decision regarding the war but must wait for the arms inspection to finish.

He said he hoped Huhtala would forward the memorandum to Washington and consider in whatever small way the points raised in the document.

The five-page memorandum said there was a foreboding fear that the US was prepared to act o­n its own without the sanction of the UN Security Council.

The Bar Council called o­n the US government to respect and comply with international laws and due process of the UN, citing opinion polls in the US which indicated that the American public opposed a unilateral military strike against Iraq.

"The Bar Council also strongly urges the US government to contemplate seriously the humanitarian aspect of a war which will see the death of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians and its ensuing aftermath of immense suffering and hardship of the country's citizens," read the memorandum.

Peace gathering

Meanwhile, Mah said the Bar Council supported any movement for peace, including the People's Alliance for Peace Malaysia which claims a membership of over 500 non-governmental organisations and Youth movements of ruling parties.

The council chairperson said he would try to be present at the anti-war rally organised by Peace Malaysia at the Bukit Jalil Stadium in Kuala Lumpur o­n Feb 23.

The event, expected to be attended by 150,000 people, will see the handing over of a list of signatures collected during the anti-war campaign, to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.