KUALA LUMPUR, 20 June 2003 — Veteran Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad accused the West yesterday of using the Sept. 11, 2001 strikes on the United States as an excuse to return to “violent old ways” and attack Muslim countries.
Mahathir, who steps down in October after 22 years in charge, choked and had tears in his eyes as he finished his opening address to his United Malays National Organization (UMNO) annual general assembly.
But the emotion did not prevent the irrepressible 77-year-old, who has been a strident critic of the US-led attack on Iraq, from another volley at the West, although he risks incurring Washington’s wrath again.
After similar criticism by Mahathir in the past, Malaysian officials said Washington warned it might discourage US investment in the Southeast Asian nation if the rhetoric wasn’t toned down.
But Mahathir appeared unfazed. “The Sept. 11 attack on America, which supported Israel, was made an excuse for the Anglo-Saxon Europeans to return to their violent old ways,” the premier told his supporters.
“Their strategy to fight terrorism is through attacking Muslim countries and Muslims, whether they are guilty or not. America and Britain did not care about the condemnation of the world against their action. Opposition by their own people was ignored,” Mahathir said.
At a news conference later, Mahathir was asked why his speech referred so often to Europeans. “If you look at history, all the problems that we face originate from them,” Mahathir said. “They are a warlike people. They love war.”
Mahathir is one of the most articulate and outspoken leaders in the Islamic world. He has supported the US war on terror and cracked down on Islamic radicals in his Muslim-majority nation but fierce and outspoken independence remains his hallmark.
Mahathir was thanked by President George W. Bush little more than a year ago for his help in the war on terror.
