HYDERABAD - Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad warned today that any attack on Iraq would aggravate the divide between Muslims and the West and said the world already had a full load in fighting terrorism.

"Any attack on Iraq will not be productive. It will only increase animosity among Muslims and between Europe and America," Mahatir told reporters on a visit to the southern Indian city of Hyderabad.

Referring to the bombing Saturday of a nightclub in the Indonesian island of Bali that left more than 180 people dead, Mahatir said: "The situation today is worse than post-September 11.

"Too much attention is being paid to security and defense instead of looking at the causes," he said.

"This is not a conventional war where any enemy or a country can be attacked and defeated. We just don't know where they will strike next. So unless we know why they are doing this no progress can be made."

Iraqi threat

On Wednesday, US President George W Bush warned of the threats posed by Saddam Hussain's Iraq.

"Iraq's combination of weapons of mass destruction and ties to terrorist groups and ballistic missiles would threaten the peace and security of many nations," Bush said after signing into law a congressional resolution authorizing him to attack Iraq.

"Either the Iraqi regime will give up its weapons of mass destruction or, for the sake of peace, the United States will lead a global coalition to disarm that regime," he said.

Mahathir later today arrived in New Delhi for talks with Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, whose government has also been critical of any action against Iraq.

Mahathir goes on to Pakistan tomorrow for talks with President Pervez Musharraf before leaving for Saudi Arabia on Saturday.AFP