Terrorist hunt must target non-Muslims also: Mahathir
Terrorist hunt must target non-Muslims also: Mahathir
Associated Press, Kuala Lumpur
Islamic nations would not support the international fight against terrorism if the only targets were Muslims, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Friday.
"If we were to say that only Muslims are terrorists, I feel it will be difficult for Islamic countries to participate in measures to merely hunt down the Muslim terrorists," Mahathir was quoted as saying by the Bernama national news agency.
"We know that others are also terrorists ... we should hunt down all terrorists irrespective of race, irrespective of religion," he was quoted as saying.
Mahathir was speaking to reporters after recording a national address to mark Hari Raya, the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan. The address is expected to be broadcast Sunday, at the start of Hari Raya.
Mahathir has condemned the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, but opposes the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan, which he says will fail to destroy terrorists and is harming innocent people.
"Strikes are not the way," Mahathir was quoted as saying. "A more thoroughly planned action to target the terrorists must be carried out, not launching bombs at random at all places."
Mahathir also renewed his defense of leader Yasser Arafat, saying the Palestinian leader could not be expected to rein-in extremist supporters while Israel continued violence against his people.
Mahathir described Israel's strikes against Palestinian targets as "rash retaliatory actions" and criticized the rest of the world, which he said "remains silent" about the strikes.
Six Palestinians were killed on Friday during Israeli incursions into West Bank villages, following two days of air strikes on Palestinian buildings, retaliation for Palestinian attacks.
The deaths were the latest from escalating violence in the Middle East as Israel responds strongly to a spate of recent suicide bombings which killed dozens of people.