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Malaysia Has Good Relation With US: Mahathir
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Saturday that Malaysia had a good relationship with the US and wanted to be friendly with all countries including Afghanistan.
Mahathir told reporters here that Malaysia was not anti- American but only disagreed with the manner in which the U.S. was retaliating against Afghanistan.
"If we are anti-Americans, we wouldn't support the attempt to hunt down terrorists," he said.
However, some people are trying to sour relations between Malaysia and the United States, including by misinterpreting remarks he made following the ongoing U.S. air strikes against Afghanistan, Mahathir said, adding "they are making all kinds of reports about my statement which is taken out of context."
The Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday demanded an Associated Press (AP) journalist and the news agency issue a public apology to Mahathir for an incorrect report attributed to him on the U.S.- led attacks on Afghanistan.
AP on Thursday admitted it had quoted Mahathir out of context in a report by Sean Yoong.
"We have no love for the Taliban, but we like Afghanistan. We have no liking for the Taliban. We know the Taliban trained Malaysian people to overthrow this government. However, there are people in Afghanistan who are not Taliban followers but they have no choice," the prime minister said.
On evidence provided by the U.S. linking Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda network to the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC) and the Pentagon, Mahathir said: "We are convinced of terrorism allegedly by these people."
He said Malaysia could accept the U.S. explanation of the Al Qaeda network although they had not given the full evidence.
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