March 02, 2003
Iraq is like Hitler, says Blair
US is like Hitler, says Mahathir
KUALA LUMPUR - Both advocates and opponents to military action against Iraq have one thing in common: they have both brought up the haunting image of Adolf Hitler.
While British Prime Minister Tony Blair argued that opposing a war on Iraq was akin to appeasing the Nazi leader, his Malaysian counterpart, Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad, likened American belligerence on Iraq to Hitler's Germany.
Defending his corner, Mr Blair said opponents of a war on Iraq were as misguided as the appeasers who refused to stand up to Hitler in the 1930s.
He was referring primarily to former British prime minister Neville Chamberlain who appeased Hitler before the onset of World War II. This led to the loss of Poland, together with other European states, to Nazi Germany.
In an interview with The Guardian newspaper, Mr Blair said he was 'prepared to be judged by history' on Iraq.
'A majority of decent and well-meaning people said there was no need to confront Hitler and that those who did were warmongers,' he said.
'When people decided not to confront fascism, they were doing the popular thing, they were doing it for good reasons and they were good people... but they made the wrong decision,' he said, making a reference to Mr Chamberlain.
Opponents of war reject the comparison. They point out that unlike Hitler - and unlike Iraq in the period before the Gulf War in 1991 - Iraq has not invaded another country, and does not have weapons that threaten Britain.
In his time, Adolf Hitler laid down a policy that exterminated millions of Jews and created a massive force which, at its peak, conquered much of Europe.
Over in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir lashed out at Washington again, likening it to the Nazi Germany of World War II.
'The US is more belligerent than Hitler's Germany,' he told the Canberra Times newspaper.
As chairman of the summit of the Non-Aligned Movement earlier this week, the Malaysian leader criticised US President George W. Bush's intentions to invade Iraq - with or without UN backing.
He also attacked Australian Prime Minister John Howard's pro-US stance, saying the country's position would affect regional relationships.
'Howard is not sensitive at all that around him, there are about 200 million people who ordinarily would be opposed to war. But as Muslims, we are particularly opposed because it is not really about the fight against the terrorists; it is terrorising the world,' he said. |
