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The Herald Journal Logan Utah Monday September 9 2002 — A9 Malaysian leader: Western policies will increase terrorism KUALA LUMPUR Malaysia (AP) — Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad criticized Western policy toward Muslim nations on Sunday saying attacks and sanctions will create endless “recruits to terrorism” Considered a moderate Muslim voice the Malaysian leader has won US praise for his stance against terrorism including thanks from President Bush during a visit to Washington in May But Mahathir has remained a strident critic of the West including of US policy in the Middle East The leader of predominantly Muslim Malaysia for 21 years he has stressed that to defeat terrorism the root causes must be removed particularly the Palestinian plight “It may be coincidental but the fact is that most of die targets of oppression and attacks are Muslims and Muslim countries” Mahathir said in a speech “Is it any wonder that Muslims everywhere feel oppressed feel angry bitter and frustrated?” Mahathir said that issues such as Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory and Weston sanctions against Iraq Iran Libya and Sudan had forced some Muslims to retaliate “through acts of terror hitting out blindly at the innocents as well as the guilty” “Typically the Western solution is to physically fight against the enemy the Islamic civilization” Mahathir told a gathering of business leaders on Pangkor a resort island 120 miles north of Kuala Lumpur “Unfortunately short of total genocide the terrorists cannot be militarily defeated” Mahathir supports the international fight against terrorism but is opposed to the military cam US-back- ed paign in Afghanistan and has predicted global instability if the United States attacks Iraq “There is practically no effort to win the hearts and minds of the Muslims” Mahathir said “In fact everything is being done to alienate them further to anger and frustrate them and to ensure there will be a constant and probably increasing supply of recruits to terrorism” Malaysia has detained without trial scores of suspected Islamic militants accused of involvement in an al --Qaida-linked plot to bomb the US Embassy and other targets in neighboring Singapore One suspect allegedly hosted two Sept 11 hijackers at his apart- -' Bush Continued from A2 written by Teddy Roosevelt “Lincoln had his Civil War Franklin Roosevelt had World War II Kennedy and Johnson — their wars” he said Times place demands on every president Rove said “and this is what history’s given him" History gave Bush a new direction for his presidency and a popularity that made voters forgiving of his domestic policy lapses As US troops fought in Afghanistan Bush’s plans to privatize parts of Social Security improve prescription drug coverage reform election laws and expand the role of religion in government services faltered Government deficits exploded compared with surpluses during the Clinton years" 'x - 1 Eleven months after the first bombs fell in Afghanistan the United States is spending $2 billion a month on the war Some 8000 USi troops are in duty in Afghanistan and an additional 55000 US forces are in the region supporting the war As die United States fought overseas Bush raised the nation’s defenses He signed the USA Patriot Act allowing federal police to detain thousands of aliens deemed threats to national security The FBI was given hew powers to tap telephone calls demand records from bookstores and libraries and enter places of worship With little precedent Bush created military tribunals for terrorism suspects Bowing to pressure he posed a Department of Homeland Security to consolidate scores of agencies and 170000 employees under one Cabinet secretary Bush insists the department trill not increase the size of government but some lawmakers — many in his own party — are dubious He has developed two new foreign policy doctrines The first previewed in his national address hours after foe attacks assumes that any country harboring terrorists is an enemy of foe United States “You’re either with us or against us” has become ' Bush’s battle cry though crit-ics say he has bent the new doctrine for Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat The second doctrinei reserves foe right of foe Unit- ed States to launch ve attacks against nations that possess weapons of mass destruction and are linked to terrorists He issued a warning to the “axis of evil”— Iraq1 Iran and North Korea “I will not wait on events while dangers gather I will not stand by as peril draws ‘ closer and closer” Bush said He has recalibrated his foreign policy since Sept 1 1 A vocal opponent of “nationbuilding” he now promises to get the new Afghanistan government on its feet ' r ihOkr HU) htm m Ram An CaaM I II aMf m IM CMa M ment in January 2000 “The answer does not lie in confrontation in force in a war to end all wars” Mahathir said in his speech “The answer lies injustice and fair play being sensitive in being willing to banish the idea that any one race has a monopoly on the right |