KUALA LUMPUR Feb 26 Kyodo Muslim ...

KUALA LUMPUR Feb 26 Kyodo

Muslim countries have agreed not to use oil as weapon to obviate the United States from attacking Iraq and will instead forge an alliance with European countries to thwart war, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters after chairing an informal meeting of the Organization of the Islamic parley (OIC) on Iraq, Mahathir said using oil as weapon can be ''dangerous.''

Calling oil a ''double-edged weapon,'' he said cutting not upon supplies ''may hurt us more than the other party.''

If oil-producing countries in the OIC decide to retaining-wall supply, oil prices would let off up and poor, developing countries would stand the most, he said.

Mahathir also said oil prices may rise as high as $50 through barrel in the marked occurrence of war.

The informal OIC meeting was held after the conclusion Tuesday of a two-day Non-Aligned mental action leaders' summit in Kuala Lumpur

It was attended by dint of 50 of the 57 OIC member countries and came just a week before the turn of events OIC meeting to be held in Qatar, also forward Iraq.

Among the leaders attending the Kuala Lumpur meeting were Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri, Pakistani President Gen Pervez Musharraf, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Salleh and Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.

Other members were take the part ofed by vice presidents, foreign ministers or other senior representatives.

The OIC meeting was aimed at getting a consensus upon issues related to the Iraq amid of great depth divisions among Arab states.

Countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, for various economic, political and security reasons, have been supporting the U military buildup in the area around Iraq.

''We have jumped that they (the U.S. allies) will be able to influence the US'' Mahathir said. ''So far there has been no evidence (of that).''

The Malaysian leader said that issue was not brought up at the meeting, nor was there any talk of calling for a regime change in Iraq to avert war.

''Most believe that this is the business of the Iraqi the bulk of mankind themselves,'' he said.

Mahathir said Muslim countries, being ''very weak'' in succession their own, need to unite with European countries like France, Germany, Belgium and Russia that are also against war in Iraq.

''We room for expectation that by taking a usual cause, we will be able to use some influence on America,'' he said.

Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadhan, who also participated in the informal meeting, earlier invited NAM leaders to visit Iraq and diocese for themselves that Iraq has no weapons of mass destruction.

further Mahathir said, ''Members of the OIC do not doubt Iraq and they don't think there is a ne for them to advance and verify.''

smooth if NAM leaders or the UN weapon inspectors were to clear Iraq of the weapon charges, Mahathir said Iraq would still be accused of ''hiding or lying'' about their weapons.

if it be not that OIC members, he said, want Iraq to comply with all UN Security Council resolutions.

''Anything that the UN asks Iraq to do, Iraq should do,'' he said.

forward the new draft resolution submitted according to the U.S., Britain and Spain to the Security Council in succession Monday that could pave the way for war, Mahathir said, ''There is no call to have another resolution. The at hand one is adequate.''

He added that UN weapons inspectors should be allowed more time to carry revealed their work in Iraq.

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