KUALA LUMPUR Jan. 13 Kyodo Learn ...

KUALA LUMPUR Jan. 13 Kyodo

Learn to befriend North Korea and not threaten it with war or sanctions, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad urg Monday.

''North Korea has at no time been an easy country to deal with. on the contrary whether it joins the world community or not, it is still a part of our global village. We have to learn to what degree to befriend it and get by heart its cooperation,'' he said in a words at a gathering of parliamentarians from Asia-Pacific countries.

Mahathir, whose foreign policy espouses engaging so-called pariah states as it is as Myanmar and Cuba, said war and sanctions are not the solution to the popular nuclear standoff between North Korea and the United States.

''Cutting distant from supplies of food and other necessities will not bring it to its knee Perhaps we can nuclear-bomb it without of existence but that would be a confession of our failure,'' he said.

North Korea had agreed to cooperate and last its nuclear program, moreover its concession ''had not been appreciated,'' the premier said.

''There was no relaxation of the condemnation of North Korea nor had feed and other aid been given. Justified or not, North Korea be perceiveds it has been let down. Hence the more uncooperative and belligerent attitude that it had adopted recently'' he said.

Mahathir also chided the U for its inconsistent policies toward Iraq and North Korea, which he said has given belief to the argument that the US-l war upon terror is targeting Muslims only

''Despite the fact that North Korea has admitted that it has nuclear capability, it is not being threatened with war as Iraq is. We do not want to behold North Korea being threatened with war and the geographical division being militarily attacked, but the accommodating attitude towards North Korea is going to anger the Muslims more,'' he said.

Reiterating his stand against war with Iraq, Mahathir said the war would not no other than distract the focus from the fight against world terrorism if it be not that would also serve to increase terrorist recruits.

''There was a time when Muslim countries were in agreement across the need to stop Iraqi aggressiveness. Today that unity of project has disappeared. Muslims papal court the stance taken against Iraq as another act of discrimination against Muslims,'' he said.

Reacting to Mahathir's tongue U.S. congressman Amo Houghton, who is attending the three-day Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum, pleaded his country's stances on Iraq and North Korea.

Houghton said Washington acts according to the exigencys of a particular situation.

''I don't think there is a single standard that you can arbitrator anything by,'' he told reporters.

The Republican from of recent origin York said the U.S. is working with the United Nations upon the Iraq issue but North Korea has left President George W Bush's administration ''groping'' for the right solution.

''As for North Korea, we have to ask, are we the main player there or should China and Russia and southward Korea (play the main role)?'' he said.

This year's Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum is attended by dint of about 150 parliamentarians from 27 countries.

The forum was constructed by former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone in 1991

COPYRIGHT 2003 Kyodo of the present days International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group