US policy on Iraq 'completely isolated': Dr M
NEW YORK - Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad criticized US enforcement of its anti-terror policy and called Washington "completely isolated" in its Iraq policy, in a Newsweek interview.
"I still support the war on terrorism, but the United States has gone overboard," Mahathir told
Newsweek
in its latest edition.
"It is delaying and turning back visitors, stopping cargo, boarding ships on the high seas. These actions are becoming counterproductive, they feed anti-Americanism."
He told the newsweekly that the United States was "completely isolated" in its bid to launch a war against Iraq after warning Friday at the World Economic Forum that a war on Iraq could foment anger and drive people towards terrorism.
"I still support the war on terrorism, but the United States has gone overboard," Mahathir told Newsweek in its latest edition.
"It is delaying and turning back visitors, stopping cargo, boarding ships on the high seas. These actions are becoming counterproductive, they feed anti-Americanism."
He told the newsweekly that the United States was "completely isolated" in its bid to launch a war against Iraq after warning Friday at the World Economic Forum that a war on Iraq could foment anger and drive people towards terrorism.
"Only Australia has signed up enthusiastically, in the role of deputy sheriff. Even Britain is now having some second thoughts," he said.
Globalised terrorism
Defending Malaysia's introduction of Islam saying it was a "modernising force" for nomadic people of the Arab world, Mahathir relates current Islamic fundamentalism to the "globalising of everything."
"Even terrorism has been globalised. But you can't change this trend. We have to deal with these mobile Arabs, and we do," said Mahathir, adding that "even in the Arab world, fundamentalists are a minority."
