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.