KUALA LUMPUR, September 21 (IslamOnline) - Malaysians are confused and angry at the prospects of a war the U.S. is waging against Iraq, a Muslim nation suffering from years of “inhuman” sanctions, IslamOnline was told on Thursday.

Malaysians are definitely against the idea of a massive U.S. onslaught on the once mighty Muslim country in the Middle East though many believe Saddam Hussein has done his time as President and should allow a new leadership to take over the country.

“If the U.S. attacks Iraq, it will be proof that the Muslim nations are unable to stop the super power in its aim of becoming the Police of the World. It will be a disaster to the Muslims in general,” a student in a sampling of public opinion told Islam Online on the burning issue.

During the “Desert Storm” public opinion was vacillating between support for Saddam Hussein or the UN though a majority of the people agreed there was a moral obligation to free Kuwait from the Iraqi occupation.

However, this time around, the U.S. does not have the support of the Muslim masses and seem to have lost the trust of non-Muslims in the country. “The U.S. should be under attack, they should be forced to open their doors for UN inspectors to check their weaponry,” a publicist working for a firm in Kuala Lumpur said.

“With the threat of war against Iraq, George Bush is looking more and more as the anti-Christ, a warmonger who does not have respect for human lives,” the publicist, who is of Christian faith added.

“Unless sufficient evidence is brought forward, the U.S. has no right to act on suspicions and should allow the UN to start its inspection of the Iraqi weapon sites,” is the popular comment among the people on the streets of Kuala Lumpur.

Saddam Hussein remains an anti-U.S. “star” whom the Malaysians says have defied the U.S. and the World and survived a “World War” waged against his country in the 1990’s.

However, a slim percentage of those interviewed, including University Professors and anti-nuclear proliferation supporters said they would prefer a UN lead campaign against Saddam Hussein if it is proven that he indeed has weapons of mass destruction.

“This is an attack against a Muslim nation that has done nothing wrong for years,” says a student, Rabiah Karim who studies at the MARA University.

However, for Isa Selamat, an Indonesian writer from Riau “the U.S. should attack Iraq, in order to shake the Muslim World and make the Muslims realize that they are divided and weak,”

“The Muslim Ummah needs a wake up call. How is it possible that we are doing nothing to prevent another crusade against Islam, this time by the sole super power on earth?” Selamat asked.

For Syafie Ahmad, who retired after 20 years of services, as a taxi driver, a U.S. attack against Iraq is unwanted, unwelcome and dangerous.

“The U.S. will raise the hatred against it with increased vigor and Muslims will tend to support “terror” acts against the U.S. in the future,” the 60 year old said.

”It is clear that the U.S. wants to show the world that it has the capacity to enter any country, dislodge its leader and install a puppet regime the like of Afghanistan,” the manager, who works for the Bank Islam, said.

Prospects of war against Iraq do not really affect the Muslims in Malaysia, another student told IslamOnline, and “however we are sympathetic to the Iraqi people.”

“The U.S. is attacking soon because it has probably has no other targets to take out in the coming months,” a businessman dealing in Carpets at the Ampang Park shopping complex said.

Overall a majority of Malaysians believe that the expected war, since they say it was inevitable the U.S. will attack, said the U.S. was interested in Iraq’s oil and in dividing the Arab nation into two, with the creation of the Kurdistan republic.