Mandela Warns Bush on Racism

Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa, believes that many people think Tony Blair and George Bush are being racist in their selective condemnation of countries possessing weapons of mass destruction.

In an interview with Newsweek magazine, the 84-year-old statesman said there was a feeling that Britain and the United States no longer respected the United Nations because the organisation has had a series of black secretary generals, including the incumbent Kofi Annan.

Asked about the evidence of Iraq's efforts to build nuclear warheads and weapons of mass destruction, Mr Mandela said: "Neither Bush nor Tony Blair has provided any evidence that such weapons exist. But what we know is that Israel has weapons of mass destruction. Nobody talks about that. Why should there be one standard for one country, especially because it is black, and another one for another country, Israel, that is white."

Mr Mandela was then asked whether the issue was a racial question. "That element is there," he replied. "In fact, many people say quietly - but they don't have the courage to stand up and say publicly - that when there were white secretary generals you didn't find this question of the United States and Britain going out of the United Nations.

"This is not my view, but that is what is being said by many people."