Prince Alfred condemns war
The Nation - Friday, March 21, 2003

If you think we can all rest easy because the war in Iraq will be waged a good distance away from our shores, think again, because eventually there will be consequences to face up to and choices that have to be made.

This was the message conveyed by Prince Alfred of Liechtenstein in a speech to political and business decision-makers, the diplomatic corps and the media during a reception held at the Dusit Thani Hotel recently to welcome him and his wife, Princess Raffaella.

"Waging a war against Iraq will be a breach of the UN charter and therefore of international law," said the prince, who is in Thailand as chairman of the Advisory Board of the International Peace Foundation, an independent Vienna-based foundation under the common patronage of 22 Nobel Peace Prize laureates.

The royal couple is here preparing for a series of events called "A Dialogue Towards a Culture of Peace", which was initiated and hosted by the foundation in cooperation with Thai institutions. The series of more than 300 seminars, workshops and conferences will kick off in Thailand in November this year and will be attended by Nobel laureates and prominent figures in politics, the arts and sports.

"The charter is very clear and it stipulates that such a war is only permitted if it is in self-defence or is authorised by the Security Council. And none of the two apply in this case to the US.

"We are not only speaking about Iraq here but of something much broader. At stake is the world order and the role of the UN," said the prince.

Cora Sukhyanga The Nation