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In this story:

• Russia: U.S. not world's judge
• Russian Communists: Boost defense budget
• China: '... absolutely no excuse'
• Mixed reaction in the Middle East
• Other global reactions
• Annan: 'Sad day'
• Related video
• Related stories and sites

NEW YORK (CNN) -- China and Russia reacted angrily Thursday to the U.S.-British attack on Iraq, calling it a violation of the U.N. charter, while France warned that the Iraqi people would suffer "grave consequences" as a result of the bombing.

The United States and Britain launched Operation Desert Fox on Wednesday. The strikes against Iraq came a day after the top U.N. weapons inspector issued a report criticizing Iraq for its continued failure to cooperate with the U.N. Special Commission (UNSCOM) weapons inspectors.

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Transcript: British Prime Minister Tony Blair speaks to Parliament on the military action against Iraq Quotes from around the world

U.S. and British officials said the strikes were aimed at military and security targets in Iraq.

While many governments supported the military action, some of the harshest criticism came from Russia and China -- both permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. France, also a permanent member of the body, distanced itself from the action, but stopped short of outright condemnation.

The other two permanent members of the Security Council are the United States and Great Britain.

Russia demanded an emergency session of the council. Sweden's U.N. ambassador, Hans Dahlgren, said the body should have been consulted before any action was taken.

Russia: U.S. not world's judge

The criticism levied by China and Russia, as well as the stance taken by France, underscored how the sternest military action against Iraq in two years has aggravated a long-running split among council members.

The three governments have consistently called for restraint during the months of confrontations between Iraq and the U.N. inspectors.

In their response to the attack, French officials preferred to blame Baghdad for the events that led to the bombing, but stopped short of supporting the action.

"France deplores the escalation which led to the American military strikes against Iraq and the grave human consequences which they could have for the Iraqi people," a foreign ministry statement said.

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, speaking in Madrid, Spain, blasted the use of force as "a violation of the United Nations charter."

"Nobody has the right to act on their own in the name of the United Nations and even less to pretend to be the judge of the entire world," Ivanov said.

Aides said Russian President Boris Yeltsin -- who has been ill for two months -- was up all night Wednesday, conferring with Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov and Kremlin military advisers.

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Yeltsin emerged from the consultations calling for an immediate halt to the military operation.

"Of course, the situation is extremely difficult," Yeltsin told reporters. "For us, it is simply unacceptable."

Russian Communists: Boost defense budget

Yeltsin went on national television to express his concerns to the Russian people. He also spoke by telephone to Chinese President Jiang Zemin.

Kremlin officials said the two men "noted with satisfaction that their positions coincided" on the Iraq crisis.

Primakov angrily noted that the strikes began while the crisis was still under discussion in the Security Council.

"It is outrageous that the strike was launched at the very moment when the (U.N.) Security Council was still discussing this issue," the prime minister told his Cabinet.

The Russian parliament canceled other business to discuss the crisis. Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov -- whose party is the biggest in the State Duma, or lower house -- said Russia should increase its defense spending for 1999.

China: '...absolutely no excuse'

Chinese U.N. Ambassador Qin Huasen was visibly angry when he emerged from a Security Council session Wednesday evening, learning of the attack only after the fact.

Qin

"There is absolutely no excuse or pretext to use force against Iraq," Qin said.

Chinese officials condemned the action, and called for an immediate end to the military operation.

"The United States has not received permission from the U.N. Security Council and took unilateral action in using force against Iraq, violating the U.N. charter and international principles," Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi said.

"China supports peaceful resolution of international disputes and opposes the use of force in international relations," Sun added.

In a possible attempt to keep from splitting the Security Council further, Sun refrained from condemning Britain for taking part in the military operation.

Mixed reaction in Middle East

In the Middle East, some commentators condemned what they called U.S. aggression against Iraq and accused Clinton of bombing Baghdad to divert attention from the impending impeachment vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.

"For Monica Lewinsky, they hit Afghanistan and Sudan. And now, for Monica's eyes, they hit Baghdad," said a commentator on Al-Jazeerah, an outspoken satellite channel beamed from the tiny Gulf Arab state of Qatar.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, was noncommittal about the attack, saying: "Israel is outside the dispute, and, in any case, will take care of defending itself if the need arises."

Baghdad shelled parts of Israel during the Persian Gulf War in 1991.

Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority urged Arab states to convene an emergency summit to call for an immediate end to the U.S. missile strikes.

Ahmed Abdel-Rahman, general secretary of the Palestinian Cabinet, told Reuters: "We condemn this unjustifiable attack on Iraq and appeal for Arab countries to convene an urgent summit ... to call without delay for a halt to the attacks."

The Palestinians backed Iraq during the Gulf War.

Other global reactions

Reaction to the strike in other parts of the world was also mixed.

The U.S.-led attack made headlines in Britain

The German government noted that the Iraqi leadership "had been warned" that the international community would have to act if it failed again to cooperate fully with U.N. weapons inspectors.

"Saddam Hussein had to know that the international community could not tolerate his behavior. ... There is no question whatsoever about our solidarity with the international community, and with our alliance partners the United States and Great Britain," German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said.

Canadian Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy said his government supported the airstrikes, although Canada was not asked to contribute militarily.

"Saddam Hussein has brought this crisis on himself," Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien said.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Islamic nation, called on the United States and Iraq to demonstrate restraint.

"We call on the conflicting parties to settle their problem peacefully and through diplomatic ways," said acting Foreign Ministry spokesman Imron Kotan.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka backed the strikes, saying, "We strongly demand that Iraq immediately and unconditionally implement the U.N. Security Council's resolutions."

Australia, New Zealand, Spain and Norway also gave their support to the air attacks, blaming Iraq for failing to cooperate.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard said that having seen the report of U.N. weapons inspection chief Richard Butler on Iraq's failure to comply with U.N. demands, he believed the United States and Britain had no choice but to launch the attacks.

"Any use of force is always to be regretted ... (but) the Australian government does not believe that the United States and the United Kingdom have been left with any alternative," Howard said.

Annan: 'Sad day'

In New York, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan called Wednesday "a sad day for the United Nations and for the rest of the world."

Annan speaks to reporters

"Throughout this year, I have done everything in my power to ensure peaceful compliance with (U.N.) Security Council resolutions and to avert the use of force," Annan said.

"This has not been an easy and painless process. ... It has required patience, determination and the will to seek peace, even when all signs pointed to war," he said.

At the Vatican on Thursday, Pope John Paul II expressed worry over the bloodshed resulting from the attacks.

"The Pope has been informed about what is happening in Iraq," said former Polish President Lech Walesa after meeting with the pontiff on Thursday.

"Every drop of blood causes suffering for the Holy Father," Walesa emphasized.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.