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Thursday, December 17, 1998 Published at 19:34 GMT
World reaction at a glance
Demonstrations: Russians protest outside the US embassy in Moscow
Russia's President Boris Yeltsin has accused the US and the UK of "crudely violating" the United Nations' charter by launching air strikes against Iraq over its refusal to co-operate with arms inspectors.
Paul Royal reports on the world's reaction Speaking hours after the first air raids on Baghdad were launched from US war ships in the Gulf, Mr Yeltsin described events as "unacceptable". He joined China at the UN Security Council in calling for an immediate end to hostilities.
Russia's Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov described the bombardment of Iraq as "outrageous".
Peter Biles: Strong criticism from China and Russia:
In a statement, Mr Yeltsin said: "The military action is fraught with the most dramatic consequences" for the Gulf region. Only a diplomatic approach could resolve the Iraq question, he added.
"By taking unprovoked military action, the United States and Britain have crudely violated the UN charter."
China's President Jiang Zemin backed Mr Yeltsin's stance and condemned the "unilateral" action of the US and UK.
President Yeltsin's press service said that two leaders, whose countries comprise two of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, had spoken by telephone and had agreed that the action, was a "direct challenge to the authority of the Security Council and its member states."
France distances itself
China's UN ambassador Qin Huasun: "There is absolutely no excuse" France, also a permanent member of the UN Security Council, distanced itself from the US action, saying that it had wanted to avoid military action "at all costs".
The government criticised both Baghdad and Washington for the "the spiral of events that led to the American military strikes against Iraq and the grave human consequences they could have on the Iraqi population".
It said it regretted that Iraq had failed to "prove a complete spirit of co-operation" despite its agreement with the UN in February to allow Unscom arms inspections to resume.
Other reaction mixed
Germany's Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said he stood behind the US and UK, describing the action as "the consequence of the obstinate refusal of Saddam Hussein to co-operate".
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan: "This is a sad day" Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi of Japan also gave his support, saying that Iraq's determination to hold weapons of mass destruction threatened world peace.
"It is deeply regrettable, but Iraq failed to co-operate with Unscom, which has brought the situation to this pass," he said.
A spokesman for Turkey, one of Iraq's neighbours, said the events were "saddening" and it hoped that the action would be "short".
"We have always wanted the situation in Iraq to return to normal and the embargo to be lifted by Iraq's full compliance with United Nations resolutions," a government spokesman said.
India joined Russia and China in demanding a halt to the raids, accusing the US and UK of undermining the United Nations. Canada, the Netherlands, Australia and South Korea voiced support for the raids.
Nato Secretary-General Javier Solana, who had been due to meet Russian officials before the crisis began, said that Saddam Hussein alone was "responsible for the grave situation and its consequences".
Portugal said it was standing with the US and UK while Spain said it deplored the use of force but the events were "inevitable".
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Addendum: Russian government proposed the lifting of the trade embargo on Iraq.