MOSCOW. March 26 (Interfax) - Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's voluntary resignation can put an end to the military conflict in Iraq, Former USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev told journalists in Moscow.
"The only way out now is for Hussein to become a peacemaker and step down," Gorbachev said.
The U.S. led war is "a huge political mistake. It is a blow to the United Nations, primarily its Security Council and to international law as a whole," he said.
The United States "may do things they won't be able to cope with. This is a step towards chaos in international relations and unmanageable consequences," he said.
In this war, the United States is pursuing its own objectives rather than the goals of eradicating terrorism and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, he said.
Moreover, the war showed the double standards of U.S. democracy. "Where is their touted democracy? Under the banner of protecting freedom and democracy, they want to 'bring happiness' to one country after another. What kind of democracy is it if most the UN Security Council members and the public opinion oppose military action?" he said.
"The UN Security Council should be convened and raise the issue of minimizing the destruction and bloodshed in Iraq.".
Furthermore, he said that the UN Security Council should be expanded to include Japan, Germany, and representatives of Africa, Asia and Latin America.