Veteran Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad accused the West on Thursday of using the September 11, 2001, strikes on the United States as an excuse to attack Muslim nations and return to 'violent old ways'.
The latest volley from Mahathir, who has been a strident critic of the US-led attack on Iraq, came during an opening address to his United Malays National Organisation annual general assembly.
"The September 11 attack on America, which supported Israel, was made an excuse for the Anglo-Saxon Europeans to return to their violent old ways," said the premier, who steps down in October after 22 years in charge.
"Their strategy to fight terrorism is through attacking Muslim countries and Muslims, whether they are guilty or not," he said.
Mahathir, 77, is one of the most articulate and outspoken leaders in the Islamic and developing worlds. He has supported the US war on terror and cracked down on Islamic radicals in his Muslim-majority nation but fierce and outspoken independence remains his hallmark.
Mahathir was thanked by President George W Bush little more than a year ago for his help in the war on terror but he has since irritated Washington with a series of angry outbursts in the months before the attack on Baghdad.
Three months ago, according to Malaysian government sources, Washington threatened to withdraw its ambassador following similar remarks to the Non-Aligned Movement summit of developing nations in Kuala Lumpur.
Mahathir's more diplomatic deputy, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, will take over the leadership of the small, but economically successful, southeast Asian nation when he steps down.
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