“The United States, awakened to the implications of being the 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,” Mugabe told the summit.

 British prime minister Blair, who has been among Mugabe’s strongest critics over alleged human rights abuses in Zimbabwe, was accused of “irrational” behaviour towards the former British colony.

 “He desires and is determined to undermine the sovereignty of my country and introduce neo-colonialist rule,” Mugabe said.

 The Zimbabwe leader, who was recently vilified as a “monster” by the British tabloid press, added that the United States had no right to order Iraq to disarm.

 “Iraq might have developed or desired to have developed arms of mass destruction but the United States has massive arms of that magnitude,” Mugabe told an audience including the Iraqi vice president.

 “Why should the United States determine what Iraq should do? By destroying their massive arms heaps they should surely lead by example.”

 He also questioned the validity of Bush’s election, which was decided by the US Supreme Court after polls in 2000 failed to pick a clear winner. “Is it not ironical that Mr. Bush who was not elected should deny my legitimacy established by many observer groups from Africa and the Third World?” he said.

 “Who should the world impose sanctions on, Robert Mugabe or George Bush?”

 NAM is to call for the lifting of the sanctions, imposed by the United States, European Union, Australia and other nations following violence in the run-up to Mugabe’s re-election a year ago, in a resolution later on Tuesday.

 Zimbabwe was also suspended from the Commonwealth, a 54-nation grouping of former British colonies, after its observers delivered an adverse report on the March 2002 poll.

 NAM was also due to urge international support for Mugabe’s controversial land-reform policies, under which thousands of white Zimbabweans have been driven from their farms, in a resolution later on Tuesday.

 The summit has witnessed a series of attacks on the United States, notably from host Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and Iranian leader Mohammad Khatami.