Malaysian Leader Denounces U.S., Britain

Malaysian Leader Denounces U.S., Britain

Monday March 24, 2003 9:50 AM


KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -Malaysian's prime minister condemned the United States and Britain on Monday for waging war in Iraq, saying they had sent the world ``back to the Stone Age.''

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who is also chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement of 116 developing nations, said in a speech to Parliament that Washington has acted like a ``bully'' and ``coward.''

The leader of the predominantly Muslim nation also called on U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to resign, saying he had not doing enough to stop the conflict.

He said the hunt for weapons of mass destruction should not be made into a pretext for war.

``Must Iraqis be killed to trace weapons of mass destruction which Iraq may not have after all?'' Mahathir said.

Mahathir will take over as chairman of the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Conference in October. He has been a leading voice in Asia against the war.

The Malaysian leader says the United States and its allies are targeting Islamic countries and that Iran, Sudan and Libya could be next.

``We have gone back to the Stone Age, where might is right,'' Mahathir said.



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