Attack on Iraq ‘cowardly’: Malaysian PM.
March 24, 2003
Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Monday said Washington and its allies have sent the world:
“back to the Stone Age where might is right.”
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Condeming the US-led war on Iraq, calling it the action of a “cowardly and imperialist” bully, Dr Mahathir said Washington’s decision undermines world order and renders both the UN and international law meaningless.
Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad
Only last year President Bush praised the Prime Minister as an ally in the international war on terrorism.
Demonstrators took to the streets in Indonesia, Hong Kong and Vietnam over the weekend, and on Monday hundreds of anti-war protesters tried to storm the Australian parliament building.
“It is a black day in history when a superpower with its allies attacks a country incapable of defending itself, much less threatening another country,” Dr Mahathir said.
“If the country was strong, they would not have attacked. This is the act of a coward, a bully,” he added.
“What is sad is that they launch a massive attack using the most high-tech weapons and mass-bombing on Iraq,” he said. “The world will not be safe. People will live in perpetual fear,” he warned.
The prime minister was asked about the United States and Britain’s accusation that Iraq has violated the Geneva Convention.
Mahathir said it was the American media which first showed images of Iraqi soldiers surrendering to U.S. troops. “It is a little bit late for America to invoke international laws because America has shown that it has total disrespect for international law,” he said.
Prime Minister Mahathir will take over as chairman of the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Conference in October.
Allied forces’ terrorism a new threat to the world — Syed Hamid.
KOTA TINGGI (Johor) March 30 — The terrorism perpetrated by the allied forces on the people of Iraq poses a new threat to the world, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said Sunday.
He said the suicide attacks now taking place would be continued not only in Iraq but also in other places once people become angry and developed a hatred over the cruelty inflicted by the big powers.
“This action (suicide attack) is taking place because people are fed up with the terrorism and injustice of the allied forces. The world has to face up to terrorism of this nature,” he told reporters when asked to comment on the suicide attack on allied forces in Iraq on Saturday in which four United States soldiers were killed.
Syed Hamid, who was met at a meet-the-people session at Kampung Teluk Ramunia near here, said it would become even more dangerous when anger against the arrogance of the allied forces led by the United States touched the hearts of ordinary people.
“We see the protests and hatred being displayed not only by people saddened by the human tragedy but also by those who in the first place never had any sympathy for Saddam Hussein,” he said.
Speaking at the meet-the-people session, Syed Hamid reminded Malaysians to learn from the US-led invasion of Iraq and strengthen their own unity.
“Only with a strong bond of unity among them can Malaysians prevent themselves from being colonised by the big powers,”he said.
kewe note: Calling the coalition forces, “the allied forces" highlights the three western nations former achievements. The allied nations were then many more. Then, they were ‘truely allied’ in their fight for democracy, and the rights of a society that respected each individual. Why the nations of Australia, The United Kingdom, and The United States, ignoring all others who tried to council more sanely, have descended into such terrorism as they are presently committing is beyond me. Perhaps you have an answer?
Malaysia — US and Britain to be held responsible, including paying humanitarian compensation.
Mar 25 2003,
Malaysian National News Agency
KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 (Bernama) — Malaysia will give its support to countries, particularly the permanent members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, to take action to stop the war in Iraq immediately.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said Malaysia would continue to uphold all principles of justice and international law, including reviving the role of the Security Council and the UN.
He said the role of the Security Council and UN was most important in the international system.
“I believe Russia, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, together with France and China, and Germany which is active in the European Union based on their conscience and principles would continue with their struggles to give credibility to the UN to take appropriate action, regardless of which nation is carrying out the destruction (in Iraq),” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby, here, Tuesday.
Five permenant members of the UN Security Council are the United States (US), Britain, Russia, France and China. The attacks on Iraq by the US and Britain were carried out unilaterally and did not have the mandate of the Security Council.
Syed Hamid said this when asked to comment on a news agency report in Moscow yesterday, which quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Fedotov as saying that the Security Council and UN should study and provide a legal assessment pertaining to the war in Iraq to ensure that the US and Britain were held responsible, including paying humanitarian compensation as a result of the attacks.
Fedotov also said Russia wanted the Iraqi issue to be referred back to the Security Council.
Syed Hamid said the world community must cooperate to criticise and stop the attacks by the US and its allies in Iraq because they represented an incursion and were made unilaterally without the blessing of international law nor the decision and mandate of the UN Security Council.
“We are not anti-anybody but we want peace. I hope what is being done by Russia would subsequently get the support of the international community,” he said.
He was convinced that the Russian stand that the US and Britain be held responsible was to give back to the UN its role and not to endorse the incursion in terms of international law.
Syed Hamid also expressed sadness and regret that UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan had said that he was now making preparation to send humanitarian aid to the people of Iraq.
“The question is as though the war could not be avoided, the UN Secretary-General must ask for a stop to the incursion immediately and humanitarian aid can be sent later instead of stating that the attack had taken place, as such, we forget the incursion and take action to provide humanitarian aid.
“The US and its allies also spoke of humanitarian aid, but this would not have been necessary if they had not invaded the country,” he said.
Describing the attacks by the US and its allies as an attempt to invade a country, Syed Hamid hoped permanent members of the UN Security Council such as Russia would continue with efforts to give mandate to the UN to hold the US and its allies responsible for the destruction in Iraq.