The war on Iraq, which was launched by the United States on March 20, could have been avoided if the UN weapons inspectors had been given more time, said former British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook in an interview with Spain's state newspaper El Pais.

The so-called "pre-emptive" attack was a very "dangerous theory," the former foreign minister was quoted on Monday as saying.

Cook, who served as the British Foreign Secretary from 1997 to 2001, resigned from his post as Leader of the House of Commons on March 17, 2003, in protest against Britain's involvement in the military action against Iraq. The move, which triggered a series of resignations inside the ruling Labor Party, dealt a heavy blow to Blair's government.

On the sweeping anti-war sentiment across the world, the former minister attributed it to two reasons: most people did not see Iraq as a potential threat to the world security; most people believed that the war served solely America's interests.

On the Euro-American ties and the Anglo-Euro-American relations, Cook said Britain's future is closely intertwined with Europe as Britain's major trading partners are located in the continent. Therefore, Britain can not afford to drift apart from Europe. All European countries should unite and speak with one voice in order to have a bigger say in the international affairs in the future, he added.

(Xinhua News Agency March 31, 2003))