The “cataclysmic” attacks on the United States have changed the concept of war and there is a need for new weapons to fight terrorism, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Tuesday.
“Unfortunately against terrorism it is not enough to arm ourselves to the teeth with the weapons we are familiar with,” Mahathir told the opening session of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA 2001) defence exhibition.
“The weapons against terrorists will be very different.”
They would have to include new systems for intelligence gathering and surveillance, better photography from outer space, early detection of poisonous chemicals and “a whole lot of new ideas and gadgets”, he said.
Mahathir, who on Monday criticised the US-led attacks in Afghanistan, said researchers would have to apply themselves to these developments “as world leaders try to identify the causes of terrorism and try to remove them.”
He has repeatedly said his government did not support retaliatory attacks after the assault on New York and Washington because innocent people would be killed and terrorism would not be wiped out.
But he acknowledged Tuesday that because of the terror attacks “the way of life of the people of the world has been changed in one cataclysmic moment.”
The six-day defence exhibition was hit by last minute withdrawals because of increased military tension around the world.
But organisers said that despite this some 670 exhibitors were participating from 26 countries including Australia, Belgium, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, New Zealand, Russia, Spain, Switzerland and the US.
Mahathir said the signing of several Memorandums of Understanding during the display of military hardware “should presage greater cooperation in the industry”.
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