Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Monday lashed out at U.S. President George W. Bush and British Premier Tony Blair, labeling them as "war criminals" and "killers of children."

Mahathir made the remarks in his keynote address at the War Crimes Conference and Exhibition entitled "Expose War Crimes: Criminalize War" here.

"We should not hang Blair if the tribunal finds him guilty but he should always carry the label as war criminal, killer of children, liar. And so should Bush and the pocket Bush of the bushlands of Australia," Mahathir was quoted by national news agencyBernama as saying at the conference, which is organized by Perdana Global Peace Organization, a non-governmental organization chaired by Mahathir himself.

Though the world might not be able to get governments of countries to enact laws to label these leaders as "war criminals," non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the sympathetic media could append the label whenever their names were mentioned, said Mahathir.

The three-day conference, which kicked off in the Putra World Trade Center in the Malaysian capital city, will work towards the setting-up of a permanent tribunal, recognized by the victims of aggression, to hear charges leveled at the warmongers.

According to the conference schedule, some ex-leading political figures, including former United Nations Assistant Secretary General Hans Von Sponeck, renowned economists, lawyers, journalists and war victims will deliver speeches at the conference.

In December 2005, Mahathir launched and signed the Kuala Lumpur Initiative to Criminalize War. This year's conference and exhibition is the continuation of the efforts to publicize the declaration and promote global peace, Perdana Global Peace Organization said earlier in a press release.

Source: Xinhua