SUPER POWERS CANNOT KILL SPIRIT - MAHATHIR

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 (Bernama) -- Dr Mahathir Mohamad has told the big
powers that sophisticated killing machines pale in comparison to a far mightier
weapon -- the spirit of the people.

The former Malaysian prime minister said that a hundred years ago, the big
powers could conquer and colonise. But not any more.

"You cannot crush the spirit of the people and the love of their land. They
will fight, (even) if it takes a thousand years.

"If the world is to see peace in Palestine and the Middle-East and
indeed, the whole world, take no sides in the Palestinian conflict.

"Only justice based on historical facts will put an end to the Palestinian
issue peacefully.

"Until then, the world will continue to see endless violence and war in the
Middle-East and Palestine," Dr Mahathir said at the Palestine Forum here
Thursday.

He said the onus was on the big powers which created Israel, the time-bomb
par excellence, which would not stop exploding in the face of the world until
justice was done.

Dr Mahathir said the tragedy of Gaza would be repeated again and again,
adding that the Americans and the Israelis were forever, demanding that the
Palestinians stop their terror attacks before there could be peace talks.

"But why should the Palestinians do that when the Israelis still occupy
their land and enforce their rule on Palestinian land, keeping thousands of
Palestinians as prisoners and in every way, threaten the life of the
Palestinians?," he asked.

Relating his experiences, the former prime minister said enroute to
Palestine, he was shocked to find its entry controlled by Israelis armed with
machine guns.

He said the Israelis had blockaded Gaza under the excuse that arms might be
smuggled into the strip.

"Why is it so wrong for the Palestinians to get inadequate weaponery when
the US supplies guns, rockets, bombs, tanks and warplanes to the Israelis with
which to blast Palestinian towns out of existance, with which to kill
children?," Dr Mahathir asked.
-- BERNAMA