Dr Mahathir Mohamad has reiterated that there must be a reason for war and the reason must be convincing and in accordance with the law.

In remarks published in the Al-Ahram newspaper of Egypt, the prime minister said that Malaysia remains steadfast in its view to oppose the US campaign to attack Iraq because the reason given was not convincing and could not be accepted.

He said Malaysia could not accept the reason of the US of just wanting to kill and remove Saddam Hussein without consideration for the people of Iraq.

The reason for war must be convincing and legal, not waking up o­ne morning and then decided to go to war, he was quoted by the Egyptian newspaper in an interview recently. Excerpts of the interview was carried by Bernama today.

Malaysia is sad

Mahathir said Malaysia is saddened not because it happens to another Islamic country but also because the Iraqis too rejected war and wanted peace and security.

He said it is necessary for the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) to play its role to avoid war and guarantee peace, especially the people in Islamic countries which had adopted an uncompromising stance against war.

"So, Islamic governments should not keep quiet. We must take steps," he said.

O­n the use of oil as a weapon to stop war and the genocide of the Palestine people, Mahathir said Islamic countries should think of ways to do it.

This is because oil producing countries have their own interest in wanting to sell the commodity, he said.

On the role of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), currently being chaired by Malaysia, he said NAM is still relevant because of its noble policies and principles but NAM members must pool energy and resources to achieve the objective of NAM.

"At present NAM members have no unified foreign policy, each going their separate ways," he said.

A model

Mahathir was also glad that Malaysia is now a model to other Islamic countries. He said Malaysia had proven to the world that its people of various races, religions and cultures could live in peace and harmony.

A way of life based o­n justice and equality irrespective of race and skin colour had enabled all races to realise progress in various aspects, he said.

The prime minister said it is o­n this foundation that Malaysia has been able to develop its race and achieve progress to a level that it does not need to borrow.

Touching o­n the Korean crisis, Mahathir said Malaysia is of the view that the crisis should be resolved through direct discussions between the North and South without the presence of a third party.

This is because both countries are Koreans and the best way to resolve their problems is to discuss it among themselves, he added.