President Megawati Soekarnoputri Condemns America's Invasion Of Iraq In Today's History, March 20, 2003

5th President of the Republic of Indonesia, Megawati Soekarnoputri. (Between/Akbar Nugroho Gumay)

JAKARTA History today, 20 years ago, March 20, 2003, President Megawati Soekarnoputri condemned the United States (US) that invaded Iraq. Megawati considered the attack a threat to world peace and security. Moreover, Iraqi accusations of possessing weapons of mass destruction were not proven.

Previously, the September 11, 2001 (9/11) attack made the US furious at the Middle East country. He considered the area to be the culprit for the emergence of terrorists. The US then began to do hitting politics.

The collapse of the twin towers of the World Trade Center (WTC) saddened all US people. The event is widely remembered as the 9/11 tragedy. The estuary was the presence of a group of terrorists hijacking the plane and crashing it directly into the WTC. The buildings that were hailed were a symbol of economic, political, and military forces.

US President George W. Bush did not remain silent. He then called out the war against international terrorism. The echo then made the US begin to carry out its teachings against terrorism blindly. The Middle Eastern country is the target.

Iraq led by Saddam Hussein, let alone. Iraq is considered Bush to have the potential to threaten the lives of the world. Saddam Hussein is said to have weapons of mass destruction.

The allegations continued to be rolled out until a weapons control team from the United Nations intervened. They then examined the issue that Iraq had nuclear weapons. The result was nil. No nuclear weapons were found. Instead of stopping, the US continues to do hitting politics.

The US has accused Saddam Hussein of being hated by all the people. The US then tried to be a savior who wanted to free Iraq from the grip of its leader. Iraq's war broke out afterward.

Saddam Hussein is indeed a difficult fact to refute. That the Iraqi people need to be supported to be free from the oppression of this authoritarian regime is also a necessity. But about how to help the Iraqi people to regain their right to choose their own government freely is another matter.

What is certain is that sending military forces to overthrow Saddam Hussein's regime without international support, as the United States is now doing with the UK's full help, is not a justifiable way. This is because this method is no different from the colonialism movement in the past, wrote a Tempo Magazine report entitledRobohnya Rezim Saddam (2003).

The attack divided the world's population into two camps: the camp supports and condemns. Indonesia also appeared brave by condemning the US move for the invasion of Iraq on March 20, 2003. President Megawati Soekarnoputri at that time considered the US move to be out of bounds.

He did not hesitate to mention that the invasion of Iraq was too forced. Moreover, the weapons of mass destruction that were accused of never meeting. For Megawati, the US invasion has actually hurt world peace. Indonesia also asked the UN Security Council to immediately take a stand on US steps.

After America carried out its military aggression against Iraq, on March 20, 2003 the Indonesian government within hours of issuing a very firm statement. First, strongly condemning American military aggression. Second, the military attack is a threat to world peace and security.

"Third, asking the Security Council to gather cooperation to take corrective steps. Not many countries are able to take a firm stance or position, let alone oppose America," said Indonesian Foreign Minister Hasan Wirajuda, who served from 2001 to 2009 in the book The Brave Lady: Megawati in the records of the Gotong Royong Cabinet (2019).