Mahathir's Strategy to Punish US Bias in Middle East

At a dinner in Kota Baru when Mahathir criticised PM AAB, he also went on to something relevant for the Middle East problem. In reference to the Israeli vicious attacks on Lebanon, supported by a very biased USA, he urged wealthy Arab nations to sell off their American dollars in exchange for Euros, Yen or gold, to severely devalue the American currency.

He said that would be the logical approach considering that many Israeli offensive against Arab countries were fuelled by American money and weapons.

Though I know it’s an old hobby horse of his, that is, shifting from the greenback to the Euro, I support his proposal as a logical and more Tai Chi-ish approach to ‘punishing’ the Americans because there seems to be no reasoning or appealing to the US’ blind and total support for an arrogant, racist, vicious and unmitigatedly evil Israel, and thus, the US' equally cruel and racist ignoring of the sufferings of Arab people.

The only problem to Dr Mahathir’s excellent proposal is those wealthy Arab nations like Saudi Arabia and the Gulf nations are beholden to the USA because they are, in the main, dictatorships of the minorities propped up by American power, to serve American interests. So they are hardly likely to commit political suicide.

But nonetheless the Grand Old man has a few powerful strategies still left up his sleeve. Whatever we may say about him, like or hate him, he has been and still is one feisty, intelligent and courageous Malaysian.

He has the guts to lash out at the Yanks, punching way above his global weight. I don't want to get too carried away with my support of his drive against the arrogant Israeli-US conducted genocide of the Lebanese people, but I would say that Dr Mahathir's strategy is almost Saladin-ish.

In that sense I feel somewhat sorry for AAB, who apart from his Fu Mountain countenance and style, has been constantly measured against a relative vulcanic 'giant'.

In an earlier posting UMNO Div told Mahathir's persona non grata I blogged that Zahidi Zainul Abidin, the UMNO division head for Padang Besar, has resisted UMNO headquarters’ orders to keep Dr Mahathir out from deliverying speechs during UMNO divisions general meeting, about to occur in a few days’ time.

Zahidi had intelligently assessed that giving Dr Mahathir a platform at an UMNO event to speak out his complaints would be far better than allowing the opposition to take advantage of Dr Mahathir’s willingness to speak, on non-UMNO platforms.

His warnings have been prophetic because expelled-from-UMNO Ibrahim Ali organised a dinner, under the banner of the Kelantan People’s Action Council, where Dr Mahathir was given free rein to speak out. The dinner drew a crowd of almost 1,000 with many people being forced to stand throughout the event.

* Update: Zahidi has backed off after he was warned by UMNO leaders he woudl face disciplinary actions.

Now, this would undoubtedly give the shivers to UMNO election strategists, when they learn that many prominent PAS leaders were also present, including Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Aziz Nik Mat and PAS vice-president Husam Musa. OK, there were also veteran UMNO leaders attending, like former Kelantan Menteri Besar Mohamad Yaakob, former NST editor-in-chief Abdullah Ahmad and former Mara president Ruhanie Ahmad were also present.

Hmmm, the PAS leaders are all current bosses, while UMNO leaders have been former 'somebody', even if not expelled. What does that tell us?

Apparently Mahathir and Nik Aziz shared the same table, separated only by host Ibrahim Ali. Did the two former political foes chit-chat? And if they did, I wonder what they talked about?

PAS strongman Husam Musa diplomatically avoided local politics and merely stated that Mahathir still has a role to play in strengthening the Organisation of Islamic Countries, particularly as a voice to pressure for an end to the Israeli aggression on Lebanon. But he then alluded euphemistically that PAS could collaborate with Mahathir to counter activities which are being done to weaken the country.

Hmmm, I wonder what ‘activities’ he was referring to?