India urged the United States on Saturday not to attack Iraq, even if it has evidence Baghdad is hiding weapons of mass destruction, saying a war must be avoided at all costs.

Indian Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, on a swing through Southeast Asia after visiting Europe and the Middle East, said there was growing opposition around the world to any unilateral US action.

"Iraq must give up its weapons of mass destruction, but even if it fails to do so the action that should be taken should be decided by the United Nations, not by any country unilaterally," Advani told a news conference in Bangkok.

"A war should be avoided," he said. "When I visited Paris, I found that France and Germany had similar views."

Advani's appeal came after President Bush rejected on Friday any bid to delay disarming Iraq, saying a new Security Council resolution authorizing war would be welcome but not necessary.