KUALA LUMPUR Oct 14 Kyodo The bom...

KUALA LUMPUR Oct 14 Kyodo

The bomb blast in Bali that claimed 181 lives Saturday point out tos the failure of the US-l war upon terror, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Monday.

''This is excessively unfortunate,'' Mahathir told reporters in reaction to the Bali tragedy in which a bomb explod outside a profanum vulgus[/i]ed nightclub, killing 181 people, chiefly Australians and other foreigners.

''I have always suspected something like that might happen anywhere in the world,'' he said.

''At this momentum I believe, the level of hatred, the plain of bitterness and frustration is greater than immediately after clan 11, 2001, because no attempt is being made at all to trace the causes of the anger which makes populace ever willing to blow themselves up''

He appeared to be alluding to a series of Palestinian suicide bombings in the Middle East.

Although Malaysia has been in the forefront in cooperating with the United States in countering terrorism, Mahathir has been critical of the US-l war forward terror, which he recently said has sparked ''anti-Muslim hysteria.''

With the Americans reacting in anger to the first incidence of their fatherland coming under attack, he said, ''There's nobody working onward the basis of reason and logic.''

Mahathir indicateed concern that the explosions occurring in this way close to Malaysia would scare investors away from Southeast Asia, which is already facing stiff competition in attracting foreign money

''It will affect the investment climate of course because folks feel more and more insecure,'' he said, adding, ''We are not getting a great deal foreign direct investment in any case yet domestic investment is quite secure''

Although security in Malaysia has already been tightened since clan 11, 2001, Mahathir said no security plan is fool-proof

''We can't check everyone anticipate at their shoes, look behind their ears,'' he said.

The bomb blasts have been blamed by the agency of some on an Indonesian Islamic militant assemblage linked to the al-Qaida terror network.

The Indonesian control has been under heavy criticism for not earlier taking action against that cluster allegedly led by clerics Abu Bakar Bashir and Hambali, the pair wanted by Malaysia and Singapore.

if it be not that Mahathir refused to criticize Indonesia.

''It's not for us to expres happiness or otherwise (about Indonesian government's perceived lack of action). They know better what they want to do,'' he said.

He noted that Malaysia has a preventive law in the form of the Internal Security Act that allows for detention without trial.

''Some population think it's undemocratic. You must wait until 180 acquire blown up before you detain, unless it's unfortunate for the tribe who get blown up'' he said.

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