Kuala Lumpur: Making a strong plea for peace and security, world leaders attending the 13th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit on February 25 called for a multi-lateral approach to settle the crisis in Iraq and other disputes.

Making a keynote address on the second day of the summit, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe blasted the West for interfering like a "big brother", starving the developing world of trade and denying it the right to develop nuclear arms.

"Iraq might have developed or desired to have developed arms of mass destruction, but the US has massive arms of that magnitude," Mugabe said.

"Why should the US determine what Iraq should do? By destroying their massive arms heaps, they should surely lead by example.

"The US, awakened to the implications of being sole superpower, joined by Britain as a born-again colonialist and other Western countries, have turned themselves into ferocious hunting bulldogs raring to go as they sniff for more blood," he said.

Echoing Mugabe's sentiments, Cuban President Fidel Castro attacked US President George Bush's foreign policy and warned that the world was at risk of extinction due to the "insane" behaviour of rich nations.

The summit saw several world leaders taking the rostrum.

Seventy-one NAM speakers representing their country are to speak at the summit on February 25.

Later in the day, the world leaders are expected to endorse and adopt the final document, the Kuala Lumpur Declaration.

Castro also noted that the US possessed thousands of nuclear weapons "enough to obliterate the world population several times over".

The Cuban leader said developing nations were told a "huge lie" when they were promised a world of peace, financial assistance and a reduction of the wealth gap after the World War II.

"There are continuous demands from the third world countries to pay a $ 2.5 trillion debt that cannot be paid under the present circumstances, while $ one trillion are spent in ever more sophisticated and deadly weapons. Why is that? What is that for?" he asked.

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Michael Somare supported the idea of multilateralism through the UN to resolve conflicts and to maintain global peace.

Jordan will not let any part of its territory to be used as a "staging point" for a US-led attack on Iraq.

"We made it clear several times that we are not a party to this war. Jordanian land will not be used as a launching pad against Iraq. We will not participate in any such move," Jordanian Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher said.

NAM groups developing nations from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and Caribbean regions. It is the second largest grouping after the UN.

PTI