Why silence?

A fine example of a stupid Mat Salleh:

(Jack) Straw (UK Foreign Secretary) blamed military and civilian casualties in Iraq directly on the action of insurgents.

"If the terrorists and insurgents gave up their campaign, the violence in Iraq would cease," he said.

He also rejected The Lancet's suggestion that the occupying forces in Iraq are obliged to keep a count of civilian casualties under the Geneva Conventions.

A fine example of a smart Frenchman:

On the eve of a visit to Britain, President Jacques Chirac said Wednesday that the world was more dangerous because of the American-led invasion of Iraq.

Ensuring that his country's relations with the United States and Britain will remain cool, he said, "There is no doubt" that terrorism around the world has increased because of the war in Iraq.

An example of a gutless Prime Minister:

*silence*

(that is the sound we hear from PM Abdullah Badawi as a response of the US' latest offensive in Fallujah, which according to Al-Jazeera has claimed thousands of Muslim lives, many of whom were non-combatants)

Sometimes, i long for Tun Mahathir's voice. He would have verbally blasted the US and Britain by now over Fallujah. I know it probably won't make much of a difference, but i think part of leadership is to speak for the people you represent. Muslims in Malaysia, just like Muslims everywhere in the world, are very upset about what is happening in Fallujah -- PM Badawi has a responsibility to convey that message in the strongest language possible.