Military

DATE=OCTOBER 20, 2003

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=BUSH MALAYSIA (L)

NUMBER=2-308837

BYLINE=SCOTT STEARNS

DATELINE=BANGKOK

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: President Bush has confronted Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed over anti-Semitic comments at a meeting of Muslim leaders. The two men spoke on the sidelines of an economic summit in Thailand. V-O-A's Scott Stearns has more from Bangkok.

TEXT: White House spokesman Scott McClellan says President Bush spoke with the Malaysian leader between afternoon meetings and told him that his comments at last week's Organization of Islamic Conference were wrong and divisive.

Mr. McClellan says President Bush told the Malaysian leader that his remarks stand squarely against what the president believes in.

Prime Minister Mahathir told the meeting in Malaysia that Jews rule the world by proxy and get others to fight and die for them. He said one-point-three-billion Muslims could not be defeated by a few-million Jews.

National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice says the comments were hateful and outrageous and do not represent the views of most Muslims. She rejected suggestions that the comments will create further tensions with the Muslim world and make it harder for President Bush to get more countries to give money and troops for Iraq.

/// RICE ACT ///

I do not think that the comments that Prime Minister Mahathir made are emblematic of the Muslim world. The president has gone out of his way to talk about the fact that this is not a war of religions. This is not a quote war of civilizations. This is a separation of people who hate and kill and maim, and people who are trying to build a peaceful world and send their kids to school without worrying about them blowing themselves up.

/// END ACT ///

Ms. Rice says the key is for everyone to step back and give no cover for terrorist violence.

Mr. Mahathir's remarks drew wide-spread condemnation, but Malaysia says Western nations are over-reacting to the speech and took the prime minister's comments out of context as they were meant only to rally the Muslim world. (SIGNED)

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