Dalai Lama has no answers about Iraq war

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Even the Dalai Lama has no answers about Iraq.

When asked during a talk on the Purdue University campus Friday how to best end the war and bring peace to the region, he said: "The best answer for that, I don't know."

The near-capacity crowd at the Elliott Hall of Music applauded his honesty, a response that was common during his 80-minute talk titled "Cultivating Happiness."

The 72-year-old monk touched on topics ranging from the state of the human race to his favorite color: green.

The Dalai Lama, who became Tibet's leader at 15, was proclaimed the 14th Dalai Lama at age 5. He fled the Himalayan region in 1959 during a failed uprising against communist Chinese rule.

His efforts to preserve Tibetan culture and promote Tibet's liberation earned him the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize.

Although he remains highly popular among Tibetans and is lauded in much of the world as a figure of moral authority, China's government calls him a Tibetan separatist.

Chinese officials lashed out angrily at the U.S. after President Bush presented him this month with the prestigious Congressional Gold Medal, Congress' highest civilian honor. The Dalai Lama brushed aside the furor, saying he supports "genuine autonomy," not independence, for Tibet.

The Dalai Lama has gained respect for President Bush.

"In spite of my disagreement with some of his policies, as a person, I love him," he said. "We immediately became friends. He's a very nice person."
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Dalai Lama says Afghanistan war 'mature'

The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has said that the United States bombing campaign against Afghanistan represents a more mature approach than taken during previous wars.

In an interview with the BBC, the Dalai Lama said the selective nature of the bombing, the precautions taken to prevent civilian casualties and the dropping of food packages were signs of change.

He said there was an emphasis on humanitarian concerns, in comparison with the First and Second World Wars, and he believed humanity was becoming more mature.

He was speaking after an address to the European parliament in Strasbourg during which he said the international community should develop a culture where dialogue and non-violence is used to resolve differences.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service