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Former Malaysian PM calls for war crimes tribunal |
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Written by Islamic Times
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Monday, 28 April 2008 |
Former Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohammad calls for an international tribunal to try western leaders for war crimes over the Iraq war.
In a speech at Imperial College, London, Mahathir called for a tribunal to try US President George W. Bush plus former prime ministers Tony Blair of Britain and John Howard of Australia for their part in the conflict, said a spokesman for the Muslim group the Ramadhan Foundation, which set up the event.
Spokesman Mohammed Shafiq told the media that Mahathir, who was in office from 1981 to 2003, wants to see the trio tried "in absentia for war crimes committed in Iraq."
"It was an opportunity for students to put forward a range of questions about war crimes and the international situation," Shafiq noted.
"He said that people have to stop killing each other and use arbitration, negotiation and discussion as an alternative to violence, war and killing."
On the war in Iraq, Mahathir spoke about "the thousands dying, the economic war, the power of oil and how we could utilize some of these tools to have leverage against the people who commit countries to war," Shafiq concluded.
The Ramadhan Foundation is a leading British Muslim youth organization working for peaceful co-existence and dialogue between communities.
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