Bush to seek Mahathir's views on terrorism

V.K.Chin, The Star, Selangor, Malaysia

The acknowledgement by the Bush administration on Malaysia's contribution in the fight against terrorism should convince critics that the government is not dragging its feet on this issue. In fact, President George W. Bush is so pleased with Malaysia's efforts that he would like to thank Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad in person.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs James A. Kelly said this at a news conference in Kuala Lumpur on Monday. Kelly also described Malaysia as a beacon of stability in this region and a moderate and predominantly Islamic country in Southeast Asia.

The Mahathir administration has always taken a tough stance on terrorism and those involved were detained under the Internal Security Act.

The two leaders will meet in Washington next month to discuss bilateral and international issues and even without further details. The Middle East conflict and the fight against global terrorism should feature prominently in their talks.

Kelly's positive remarks indicate that bilateral ties are cordial and should end speculation that the U.S. is unhappy with Malaysia because of its lack of cooperation in dealing with terrorism. Kuala Lumpur has never been found wanting when it comes to cooperation in fighting the menace posed by illicit drugs and terrorism with international agencies.

Actually, Malaysia is one country that the U.S. should have closer contact with in trying to find a solution to the Palestinian problem. Malaysia can give an objective assessment, as it is a modern and moderate Muslim country situated far from the Middle East and therefore not directly involved with the conflict there.

Kuala Lumpur recently played host to a highly successful meeting of the Organization of Islamic Conference in which all the foreign ministers discussed and defined global terrorism.

President Bush no doubt would like a personal briefing on it by the PM and his views of the Islamic world's thinking on this key subject. The U.S. leader seems to have lost his way a bit in his war against terrorism.

He is most probably looking for fresh leads and new ideas to put his Middle East policy on track once again and assume a leadership role in ending the conflict there.

Mahathir should also be able to brief the U.S. leader on his meetings with leaders in these three states if necessary, especially with Col. Moammar Qaddafi, who has been a thorn in Washington's side for the past 30 years.

The Bush-Mahathir meeting therefore will be watched closely by the Islamic countries since something positive could come out of it -- which could have some bearing on finding a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the campaign against international terrorism.