Moderates need help to survive terrorism INTERVIEW / LEE KUAN YEW

[54anickel]

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/19Dec2003_news44.html

The world after Iraq is in dire need of an international framework to deal with terrorism, says Lee Kuan Yew in an interview with editor-in-chief Pichai Chuensuksawadi and other senior journalists.

snip>

Guerrilla and terrorist attacks continue and although the US wants to establish democracy in Iraq, Senior Minister Lee said, ``it will be a long, hard slog''.

The former prime minister believes that despite ``overwhelming'' military dominance, the US cannot solve worldwide terrorism even though it can provide leadership as the sole superpower. What exists at present is international disunity since France, Russia and Germany did not go along with the Americans at the start of the attack.

Even now there is no international consensus on how to deal with Iraq and international terrorism, he said. The Iraq war ``shattered the definition of the West that we knew during the Cold War''.

snip>

Mr Lee also appeared sceptical about current US attempts to democratise Iraq.

``One has to be realistic. The Americans have thought through this problem before Iraq. Whatever input there has been, the official conclusion is that there must be a democratic Muslim world. But can you change a culture that is 5,000 years old?

``I consider it a complex problem. Notice that the US is now not talking about setting up a democratic government, but is talking more about freedom. The post-Iraq world is one of uncertainty.''

Despite his call for a unified strategy or framework, Mr Lee said it would take several years to reach a consensus.

more....

[tlcandie]

1. Thanks! Can we now or at least BEGIN to talk like civilised,

rational adults? No..didn't think so, BUT this is exactly what we need to do in communities, cities, states from the bottom up not top down!

[54anickel]

2. Hard to tell from your reply. What did you think of his interview?

I thought it was pretty good, he certainly did not hold back on his personal feelings on the issues. I thought his point about the differences in Muslims was quite interesting, though I would need to research the origin of the moderate.