'War Solves Nothing'.(Mahathir Mohamad)

For much of his career, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has enjoyed poking a finger in the eye of the West, pitching himself as a spokesman for the world's smaller nations. Yet initially at least, he was also one of the Muslim world's staunchest supporters of the war against terror. So when he addressed the World Economic Forum in Davos last week with a blistering, thinly veiled attack on the way Washington has waged that war--"Sanity has deserted both sides," he railed--he sent a strong signal about just how much resentment the United States has inspired internationally, particularly over the question of Iraq. Shortly after his speech Mahathir spoke with NEWSWEEK's Lally Weymouth and Fareed Zakaria. Excerpts:

NEWSWEEK: After September 11 you strongly supported President Bush's war on terror, and denounced Al Qaeda and suicide bombing. Do you no longer support U.S. policy?

MAHATHIR: I still support the war on terrorism, but the United States has gone overboard. It is delaying and turning back visitors, stopping cargo, boarding ships on the high seas. These actions are becoming counterproductive; they feed anti-Americanism. And now there is Iraq. Iraq is a problem that has existed and still exists. But it has little to do with the war on terror.

But over the years you have been very tough on terror in Malaysia.

Yes, we have had a policy of preempting terrorism. But we also asked ourselves, "Why is this happening?" I am trained as a doctor, and I don't treat symptoms. I treat the malady itself. We tried to address the root causes of the problem, providing opportunity and education. Of course, when we would lock people up we got heavily criticized, mostly by the Americans.

Do you believe that the United States is isolated in its policy toward Iraq?

It is completely isolated. Only Australia has signed up enthusiastically, in the role of deputy sheriff. Even Britain is now having some second thoughts.