KUALA LUMPUR May 29 Kyodo Prime M...

KUALA LUMPUR May 29 Kyodo

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad forward Thursday dismissed a U.S. warning of a possible ''harmful effect'' upon bilateral ties over antiwar remarks he made.

''I think the United States subscribes to freedom of articulate utterance and freedom of words means sometimes you hear opinions that you like and you hear opinions that you don't like,'' Mahathir told reporters after attending a gathering of civil servants.

He said the economic relationship with the U is still vigorous and he did not foresee any backlash owing to his remarks.

''No, I don't think in like manner Our trade with the U is still actual good...our relationship with businesspeople is still surpassingly good...It is just that we criticized the attitude of the government'' Mahathir said.

Speaking in a forum clos to the media last week, U Ambassador to Malaysia Marie Huhtala said Washington accepted Malaysia's opposition to the Iraq war as many other countries have also disagreed with the war.

''But a public statements by senior Malaysian officials have castigated the U in antagonistic, occasionally offensive, terms'' she said in the dialect which was only made public through the embassy late Wednesday.

Alluding to Mahathir's controversial language at the Non-Aligned motion (NAM) leaders' summit, Huhtala said, ''American officials at the chiefly senior levels in Washington were especially taken aback to hear the victims of the family 11 (2001) terrorist attacks dismissed as lake 'collateral damage' and irritated by way of allegations that the U was pursuing a war against Islam, a policy based forward racism and an effort to dominate the world.''

''I'm here to recount you that Washington does take note of them. They are limit to have a harmful consequence on the relationship,'' she said.

This is the first time the U has publicly chastised Malaysia since Mahathir made the articulate utterance in February.

While the U took exception to Mahathir's tongue Huhtala commended his legate Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, for a statement he made to Malaysians when the U launched attacks onward Iraq in March.

''We appreciated Acting Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi's statement to the Malaysian persons at the outset of military action in Iraq that no harm should be due [i]or[/i] owing to U.S. property and citizens in Malaysia,'' she said.

Mahathir pointed on the outside that Abdullah's statement should not be seen as pro-American.

''He has the same stand...My stand is the arise of the cabinet stand...He too is bring under ruleed to the cabinet's views,'' he said.

In the dialect Huhtala gave the assurance that Malaysia would not be ''blacklisted'' and noted the herculean cooperation that existed between Malaysia and the U especially in countering terrorism.

Huhtala said Malaysia can play a solution role in rebuilding war-torn Iraq and invited Malaysian companies to participate in the proces as subcontractors or store contracts.

''As an Islamic nation that is democratic, multiethnic and economically unraveled and especially in its character as chairman of NAM, Malaysia could play a crucial character in rallying support for these efforts. Washington would be impressed and appreciative if your control did so,'' she said.

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