Kuala Lumpur – Saying the US government deserves more credit for its Iraq policy, East Timor's Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta on Saturday criticized what he called "illogical anti-Americanism" fueled by fears of a US-led attack on Baghdad.

Nobel Peace laureate Horta made his comments ahead of a two-day summit of the 114-nation Non-Aligned Movement starting Monday, when his country and one other are to formally join the bloc of mostly developing nations. The other new member is St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Many member nations have vigorously assailed US President George W. Bush's plans to disarm Iraq by force if necessary. But Horta said Bush's stance has persuaded Baghdad to show more cooperation with UN demands that it destroy any of its weapons of mass destruction.

"If President Bush had not threatened to go to war in a credible manner by building forces in the region, would Saddam Hussein have invited the weapons inspectors back?" Horta told reporters.

"Did he invite them back because of the charming French attitude or because of the German pacifist attitude, or because he knows that George W. Bush means business?" he said, referring to France and Germany's refusal to endorse a military assault on Iraq.

Millions of people participated in anti-war demonstrations worldwide last weekend and flayed the US for its hawkish stance toward Iraq, which it accuses of having banned weapons of mass destruction – something Iraq has denied.

Horta, however, said he questioned whether there was "enough reason to go to war" even if Saddam was found to haven't fully complied with UN Security Council resolutions. "I argue for the US as a superpower in the world ... to be more patient," he said.

Foreign ministers of the Non-Aligned Movement on Saturday endorsed the memberships of East Timor and former U.K. colony St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The two countries will formally boost the movement's members to 116 on Monday.

East Timor was a Portuguese colony until Indonesia took it over in 1975. Its people voted for independence in an August 1999 referendum.