Mahathir takes punchy line on Iraq as head of NAM
The incoming chairman of the 114-nation Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, has taken a characteristically punchy line on the Iraq crisis as he assumes his last major role on the world stage.
Mahathir, a veteran Muslim leader bitterly opposed to Islamic extremism, believes the United States would fan the flames of international terrorism by leading an attack on Iraq.
He has made it clear that he will attempt to steer the NAM into declaring strong opposition to such a war at its summit in Kuala Lumpur on Monday and Tuesday next week.
Asked what would be contained in the summit's final declaration, he replied: "Certainly it is about our anti-war stand."
In typical shoot-from-the-lip style, he has described US President George W Bush's military threat against Iraq as a "primitive" response to the task of disarming President Saddam Hussein's regime.
For the rest of this story and more, subscribe for only RM150 a year. If you're already a subscriber, please sign in.
Sign in Subscribe now