- BANGKOK (AFP) -- Malaysian
Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad told the United States today it must learn
conflicts will never by won by using brute force.
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- Asked in an interview with the Bangkok Post whether Washington
was capable of resolving the campaigns it had started, he replied: "Not
in the way they are approaching conflicts."
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- "They must learn... it is sad to see that American
embassies all around the world have to be protected.
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- "That's a measure of the bad feelings against the
Americans now. That's because they changed in attitude. They have become
so powerful. They are the only power in the world and they don't care any
more whether we like them or not.
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- "They can force us to submit to them and that is
the basis of their foreign policy: using force. If you are not a democratic
country, I will apply sanctions against you."
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- The veteran leader, considered the elder statesman of
Southeast Asia, said he believed this was the wrong approach.
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- "Using force to make people democratic, I think
is wrong," he said.
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- "People must accept democracy because it is a good
system. You preach democracy, you don't go around saying 'Now you must
be democratic'. I think the wrong things are being done."
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- Mr Mahathir, who cited Malaysia's extensive experience
of dealing with terrorism, said Washington should instead look at the root
cause of why people crashed airliners into skyscrapers, referring to the
September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.
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- "The way we deal with it is to find what is bugging
them," he said. "Why are they doing this? We then tackle the
problem.
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- "Yes, you can apply military pressure but find the
root cause, the political cause, and we have conveyed this to everyone.
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- "But there are some who believe massive retaliation
is the answer. You kill one of my people, I will kill 100 of your people.
This is not going to work."
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- The Malaysian Government fiercely opposed the US-led
strike on Iraq. Since US President George W. Bush declared major hostilities
were over on May 1, more than 100 US soldiers have been killed in what
has become a guerrilla campaign.
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- The 77-year-old Mr Mahathir, due to retire at the end
of this month after 22 years in power, is an outspoken critic of many US
policies.
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- Copyright 2003 News Limited.
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- http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,7625696%255E1702,00.html
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